United target four defensive signings next summer with Lewis Hall already their priority

Manchester United have identified Lewis Hall as their primary left-back target for the 2027 summer transfer window, with the club planning to sign up to four defenders as they look to complete a squad rebuild ahead of their 150th anniversary season.

Having spent £215m reconfiguring the attack in 2025 and a further £155m overhauling central midfield this summer — bringing in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba — United’s football executive committee always intended to turn its attention to the back line next. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox did consider accelerating that timeline this summer by signing a left-back, but ultimately decided against it.

Hall, 21, was United’s top target during that process and is understood to have been open to a move to Old Trafford. The club’s interest mirrors the approach taken with Baleba, whom United first enquired about in 2025 before being deterred by Brighton’s asking price, only to return this summer and complete the deal relatively swiftly. The expectation is that a similar groundwork strategy will be applied to Hall ahead of 2027.

The failure to add cover at left-back leaves Luke Shaw as the only recognised option in that position, and the 31-year-old enters the season with plenty to prove. Shaw started every Premier League game last term but has endured a difficult start to the current campaign. His contract expires next summer with no extension clause, meaning a fresh decision on his future is unavoidable.

Shaw is not alone in facing an uncertain Old Trafford future. Harry Maguire, 33, and Lisandro Martinez are also out of contract at the end of the season, though United hold one-year options on both centre-backs. The club is expected to trigger Maguire’s option if they choose to keep him, while Martinez is likely to be offered a longer-term deal — provided he can demonstrate the fitness that has eluded him for much of his time in England. The Argentine has managed just 65 Premier League starts across four seasons due to recurring injuries.

Matthijs de Ligt is another defender who must use this season to rebuild his case. The Dutch international was beginning to establish himself at Old Trafford before fitness concerns interrupted his progress, and he too will be looking to cement his place in the plans before the summer window opens.

With so many defensive contracts expiring or under review simultaneously, United’s back line could look substantially different by the time the 2027/28 campaign — the one the club is targeting for a genuine Premier League title challenge — gets under way.