United eye Roma’s Wesley as part of wider defensive rebuild — but any move looks years away, not months
Manchester United have emerged as admirers of AS Roma right-back Wesley, with the Brazilian named as one of the names on the club’s radar as part of a broader plan to overhaul the club’s full-back options. However, current reporting points firmly toward a longer-term target rather than anything imminent in the January window.
Who is Wesley?
Wesley Vinícius França Lima, 23, is a Brazilian right-back (also comfortable at left-back) who made his name at Flamengo before Roma paid around €25m to sign him in the summer of 2025. He’s settled quickly into Serie A, contributing five goals in 30 appearances last season and establishing himself as one of Roma’s more eye-catching performers, operating as what’s been described as a classic attacking wing-back.
Why United like him
According to reporting on United’s recruitment plans, Wesley has “gained many admirers at Carrington,” with scouting staff reportedly viewing him as an old-school flamboyant full-back in the mould of some of United’s great wide defenders of the past. He’s one of two names put forward specifically for the right and left-back berths, with Newcastle’s Lewis Hall the other, as United’s hierarchy — led by CEO Omar Berrada and football director Jason Wilcox — look to rebuild the defence around existing young centre-backs Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven.
Part of a bigger plan
Wesley isn’t an isolated interest. United are reportedly working on a three-man defensive rebuild that also includes central options such as Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo, with Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell also mentioned as an alternative full-back option. Sources stress this is background scouting work rather than concrete, advanced negotiations — United are said to be weighing “several potential names” both domestically and abroad for the right-back slot rather than zeroing in on Wesley alone.
The timeline
Crucially, every current report frames this as a target for the 2027 transfer window, not the upcoming January window. That’s a meaningful distinction — it suggests United see this as part of a longer-term structural rebuild of the backline rather than an urgent fix for the current campaign, even with Luke Shaw’s persistent fitness problems creating pressure on the left side specifically.
Competition for his signature
United wouldn’t have a free run at Wesley regardless of timing. Manchester City have also been credited with sustained interest in the player going back months, reportedly eyeing him as cover and eventual competition following injury problems to their own right-back options. Roma, for their part, have shown no obvious urgency to sell, with Wesley still contracted at the club until 2030.