Manchester United’s £85m double-swoop clears the path for Liverpool to seal a £97m midfield masterclass

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Liverpool’s midfield, which has undergone so much surgery over the last couple of years, is suddenly staring down the barrel of some major uncertainty. Throw in the fact that Dominik Szoboszlai has hit a real roadblock in his contract talks, and it’s clear that sporting director Richard Hughes has a massive job on his hands.

United’s rapid double-swoop changes the game Old Trafford has seen a sudden flurry of decisive action. Man United's midfield has seen a shake-up ahead of the new season… ?? pic.twitter.com/JIXgGgbCmI — ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) July 15, 2026 With £85 million spent and two major acquisitions through the door to slot in alongside Kobbie Mainoo, United’s central midfield rebuild is, for all intents and purposes, completed.

Carrick has got his numbers, and more importantly, his starting slots are now firmly locked down. it is Richard Hughes who might be smiling the widest. Gomes harbors serious dreams of cementing his place in the Brazil national setup, and sitting on the bench at Old Trafford while Tielemans and Santos run the show is not in his script Time for Richard Hughes to strike The market has just presented a golden path forward.