Manchester United have pushed their plans to sign a new central midfielder until 2026, owing to the current circumstances at the club.

According to Give Me Sport, Manchester United have postponed their plans to sign a new centre-back until 2026. The Red Devils are still in the market for key signings for important positions, but a defender might not arrive now but sometime next year, possibly even January.

Manchester United cooled their interest in Carlos Baleba owing to the complications involved in completing the deal in the time remaining in the window. The midfielder’s asking price is also a big factor, with Broighton not open to selling the Cameroonian international.

While a midfield signing is considered important, Manchester United are targeting alternatives such as Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, with the former widely viewed as an achievable target. They also sought a new defender and a goalkeeper, with doubts creeping up about their ability to do so in this window.

Manchester United have refreshed their frontline in the summer with the arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. They were widely expected to strengthen the central defence, but for now, they have pushed those plans until 2026.

Dayot Upamecano was reportedly offered to the club, and landing the France international would be a big coup for the club. They were also interested in Marc Guehi, although the Crystal Palace star might either stay at the club or join Liverpool if the two sides can agree to terms.

Manchester United have sufficient central defensive depth

Despite the need to bring a top-drawer central defender, Manchester United currently have enough defensive depth to play around with. Hence, they are open to postponing the search for a new centre-back for 2026, which could also mean January. Currently, Amorim has Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Mathijs de Ligt and Ayden Heaven as his centre-backs, while Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw are also set to play there.

Should Amorim feel the current quality is not enough between now and January, he could make a plea for a new centre-back in the winter window. However, for now, he has enough options to utilise until January and, in theory, for the whole season. Next summer, there’s a real chance Manchester United will target a new centre-back.