Manchester United’s manager, Michael Carrick, has made it clear that the club both "wants" and "needs" to be more active in the transfer market before the summer window shuts on September 1. As he prepares for his inaugural full season at Old Trafford, United have already added Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to the roster for a combined fee of roughly £85 million, and they have secured goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free deal from Leeds United.
In addition to these headline names, the club has also brought in Tynan Thompson, Kit Margetson and Cristian Orozco. While these three are unlikely to make an immediate impact on the first‑team sheet, their arrivals signal a broader recruitment strategy aimed at deepening the squad’s depth and future potential. The initial focus of United’s transfer activity this summer has been the midfield, a response to the departure of Casemiro, and the need to provide a reliable backup for the newly appointed No. 1 goalkeeper, Senne Lammens.
The acquisitions of Santos, Tielemans and Darlow represent tangible progress in filling two of the most pressing positional gaps. Nonetheless, a growing sense of impatience among supporters has emerged, with many fans urging the club to continue its pursuit of further reinforcements. When asked to evaluate his first summer window as United’s head coach, Carrick expressed satisfaction with the players already signed, but he also underscored that the job is not finished.
"We’re delighted with the players we’ve brought in, first and foremost," he told Sky Sports News. "We’ve improved the squad in several ways – in terms of balance, quality and the direction we want to head. The deals we’ve completed have been very good, and we have some top‑class talent. But we always want to get better.
We want more, we need more. We keep looking forward to how we can do that.
That never stops. We’re conscious of that and we have to keep pushing." Alongside the new signings, United have also welcomed back Marcus Rashford, who has been reintegrated into Carrick’s pre‑season plans. Rashford spent the previous season on loan at Barcelona, but the Spanish side chose not to trigger their £26 million purchase option, meaning he returned to Manchester United.
The England forward could make his first appearance since December 2024 in a friendly against AC Milan, managed by Ruben Amorim, later this week. Rashford’s loan spell at Aston Villa had ended abruptly after a fallout with Amorim, but Carrick believes the striker adds something the current group lacks. "We’re really calm about bringing Rashford back in," Carrick said. "We treat him like any other player joining the squad.
Of course, there’s a slight twist because he knows the club inside out, having spent his entire career here until the last eight months, and that’s a positive. He’s been here all his life, so he understands what it means to wear the shirt.
We treat him exactly like any other player, bring him into the group and carry on as normal. He brings a set of qualities we haven’t got, and we want that balance with every individual. Marcus is back, he’s in good form and it’s been great to have him around this week." Looking ahead to the final days of the transfer window, United are reportedly scouting for a left‑back and possibly a third central midfielder. The club is unlikely to pursue a new forward, given Rashford’s return provides a viable option up front for Carrick.
There have been preliminary talks about a potential move for Lewis Hall, a left‑back from Newcastle United, but the Magpies have publicly stated that Hall is not for sale at the moment. Another candidate on United’s radar is Antonee Robinson of Fulham, who could fulfill the role of an attacking left‑back. Meanwhile, Harry Amass, who has featured in pre‑season matches, is expected to leave before the window closes.
United have also shown a long‑term interest in Arsenal’s versatile youngster Myles Lewis‑Skelly, who can operate both as a left‑back and a midfielder. While it remains uncertain whether United will act on this interest this summer, Lewis‑Skelly’s dual‑position capability could theoretically address two of United’s needs in one signing. The possibility remains that United could finish the window without adding a third central midfielder, relying on the contributions of Tielemans and Santos to fill that role.
Mason Mount, who has been deployed in a deeper midfield position during pre‑season, suffered an injury scare that has raised concerns among fans about his fitness and availability for the upcoming season. Overall, Carrick’s message to the United faithful is one of cautious optimism mixed with a clear call for continued ambition.
The club has made meaningful strides by securing key midfield and goalkeeping talent, yet the manager and the board recognise that the squad still requires additional pieces to compete at the highest level. As the deadline approaches, United’s transfer activity will be closely watched, with supporters hoping that the next signings will further solidify the team’s chances of challenging for major honours in the coming campaign.