A review of the summer transfer window as Manchester United carry out a midfield transition under Michael Carrick. While the summer additions successfully revamped Manchester ...
A review of the summer transfer window as Manchester United carry out a midfield transition under Michael Carrick.
While the summer additions successfully revamped Manchester United’s central midfield, there is still more recruitment needed to have a team – on paper at least – capable of competing for the Premier League title.
After the 2026 summer transfer window shuts, United will still have a team lacking in multiple areas, and it remains to be seen if the new midfield additions can do what they were signed to do.
Without further ado, we look at how United fared in their attempts to improve Michael Carrick’s team for the 2026/27 campaign.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
United invested £155m in a midfield overhaul – bringing in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Carlos Baleba.
This brings a fundamental shift to the squad that has been needed for some time. These signings boast different profiles but only time will tell if Carrick can settle on combinations that allow them to complement each other on the pitch.
Despite losing Casemiro at the end of last season, I think Carrick has a stronger midfield to work with now.
While it’s a shame that Baleba misses the start of the season with an ankle issue, that gives Tielemans and Santos time to settle.
It bodes well for Kobbie Mainoo that United have invested reasonably to ensure he is accompanied by strong options in the middle of the pitch rather than being reliant on a veteran who previously enjoyed his best years at Real Madrid.
The jury is still out on a lot of these players on whether they will be a success at Old Trafford, but Tielemans performed well alongside the exceptional Mainoo in United’s 5-2 win over Ipswich Town on Sunday.
In terms of being overreliant on Casemiro last term, United are going down the same rocky road with Luke Shaw at left-back.
It was always a risk to go into the 2026/27 campaign without cover at left-back for the experienced defender, who is unlikely to be available for 45+ games this season.
United want Lewis Hall, but Newcastle wouldn’t budge, yet the same club that walked away from deals for Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes have seemingly decided to wait a year before relaunching a pursuit of the England international.
Hall looks the real deal, but that is no use to United right now. The Reds missed a trick by not signing a stopgap option with experience at the top level to provide extra support at left-back for the remainder of the season.
There were rumours of a late push for Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, but nothing materialised, and the Spain international will remain at Camp Nou.
Let’s hope Shaw defeats science, improves drastically and somehow plays every game. It doesn’t look like Carrick thinks Harry Amass is ready, but he could be forced into playing the Academy graduate.
