Manchester United have wasted little time adding to their squad ahead of an important 2024-25 season, but their third deal is taking a little longer to complete than the first two.

Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro have already joined the club, at a combined cost of more than £80m. Yoro has already played his part during United’s pre-season tour of the United States, picking up an injury worry in the friendly against Arsenal, while Zirkzee has been given extra time off after playing his part in the Netherlands’ run to the Euro 2024 semi-finals.

Zirkzee’s international team-mate Matthijs de Ligt is one of the other names strongly linked with an Old Trafford switch this summer. He isn’t the only one, though, with midfield and right-back other areas of concern.

At the time of writing, though, we’re still waiting on that third deal to be announced. Here, Mirror Football looks at the state of play for some of those potential signings.

Manuel Ugarte

A defensive midfielder is top of United’s list, following their struggles in that department last season. Casemiro endured a tough second season in England, while Sofyan Amrabat remains in limbo after the club opted against triggering a buy option following his loan from Fiorentina.

United could yet return for Amrabat for less than the pre-agreed sum, but Ugarte is the priority. Paris Saint-Germain are expected to cash in on the Uruguay international just one year after signing him from Sporting CP.

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Uruguay star Manuel Ugarte is expected to leave Paris Saint-Germain ( 
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AFP via Getty Images)
Personal terms have already been agreed, but the transfer fee is another matter. More sales might be need in order to finance a deal, and a Saudi Pro League move for Casemiro could help in that regard.

Noussair Mazraoui

Mazraoui is well-known to Erik ten Hag, with the pair working together at Ajax. The right-back featured regularly in the Dutch side’s run to the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals, but has found things tougher since moving to Bayern Munich in 2022.

West Ham looked to be in pole position for the Morocco international, with Bayern chasing a fee in the region of £20m. However, United have stolen a march and look the most likely to win the race.

West Ham have also looked at Bayern Munich’s Mazraoui ( 
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Getty Images)
Before that happens, though, they want to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka to free up funds. West Ham could be their saviours in that regard, though it remains to be seen whether they can reach an agreement for the £15m-rated defender.

Matthijs de Ligt

De Ligt, like Mazraoui, helped take Ten Hag’s Ajax within moments of the 2019 Champions League final. Also like Mazraoui, he’s available from Bayern Munich if a club can meet the Bavarian club’s asking price.

Bayern Munich are prepared to make a loss on Matthijs de Ligt ( 
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AFP via Getty Images)
That price is thought to be somewhere in the region of £40million, with new Bayern boss Vincent Kompany prepared to part ways with the centre-back. Bayern added centre-back Kim Min-jae to their ranks last summer, while Eric Dier completed a permanent move in this summer’s window after impressing on loan from Tottenham and Hiroki Ito joined from Stuttgart.

United are understood to have not yet lodged a bid for De Ligt. However, with Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala leaving Old Trafford and Victor Lindelof potentially doing the same, they could yet add another central defender after Yoro’s arrival from Lille.

Jarrad Branthwaite

Manchester United saw an opening bid for Jarrad Branthwaite knocked back ( 
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Everton defender Branthwaite is another who was strongly linked with United earlier in the window. It’s a slightly different situation when it comes to the England international, with Ten Hag’s side seeing an opening bid knocked back.

Personal terms are not thought to be an issue for the former Carlisle star. Everton’s asking price could yet prove problematic, though, with the Toffees thought to want as much as £70m.

While Branthwaite has never played under Ten Hag, he has a connection with another member of United’s coaching staff. Ruud van Nistelrooy was PSV Eindhoven’s manager when Branthwaite spent a season on loan with the Dutch side in 2022-23.