Gary Neville has publicly urged Manchester United to plug the glaring holes in their back line by adding both a centre‑back and a full‑back before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday night. In recent weeks United have splashed a huge sum on midfield talent – paying roughly £155 million for the likes of Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans – and they also bolstered their attacking options with signings such as Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško during the summer of 2025.
While these acquisitions have generated excitement, Neville warns that defensive frailties could quickly undo any progress the club has made under head coach Michael Carrick. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of United’s clash with Ipswich, Neville painted a picture of what an ideal summer would have looked like for Carrick. “If you asked Michael what his wish list was this window, he would probably say ‘reinforce the midfield and rebuild the defence’,” the former England captain said. He acknowledged that United have taken a measured approach, spending around £170 million on forwards last season and about £150 million on midfielders this year, suggesting that the club is trying to avoid a wholesale overhaul and instead upgrade piece by piece.
Nevertheless, Neville believes the current defensive set‑up is fragile. “You have some decent individual defenders, but you don’t have a cohesive back four.
When the team comes under sustained pressure or suffers injuries, that lack of depth will be exposed,” he warned. He added that the club’s recent 5‑2 victory over Ipswich highlighted the urgency of the situation. "If they could sign a centre‑back and a full‑back before the deadline, it would head off problems we already know are looming," Neville said. Neville was careful not to sound overly critical.
“I’m not saying United have been terrible all season, but at the level of Champions League and Premier League football you simply cannot afford to be vulnerable at the back,” he explained. He contrasted United’s approach with that of rivals Liverpool, noting that Liverpool have also failed to bring in two full‑backs despite a clear need, while Arsenal have continued to strengthen even while sitting near the top of the table.
"Manchester United and Liverpool aren’t in the same position as Arsenal, yet both clubs have been surprisingly inactive in the defensive market," he observed. On his own podcast, Neville expanded on why the midfield must protect the defence. He singled out Baleba as the most physical, defensive‑minded midfielder in United’s ranks, describing him as the type of player who can shield the back four. “United’s back four is still vulnerable because it’s essentially the same group of defenders from last season and the season before,” he said.
The team conceded 50 goals last season, and without a more robust midfield shield, those numbers are unlikely to improve. Neville highlighted the recent defensive chaos at the end of the Ipswich game, when both Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot were forced off. Their replacements – young left‑back Leny Yoro and right‑back Noussair Mazraoui – are not natural full‑backs.
"Yoro is a makeshift option at best, and Mazraoui, while capable, is not the specialist left‑back United need," Neville explained. He mentioned a few potential targets, including Newcastle’s promising left‑back Lewis Hall and Middlesbrough’s Myles Lewis‑Skelly, but admitted that Hall is unlikely to leave and that any pursuit would have to be realistic given United’s financial constraints.
The former defender also pointed out that United have already explored options such as Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen, who is reportedly due a new contract, and that the club continues to monitor the left‑back market for a longer‑term solution. With only Shaw as a senior left‑back and Mazraoui and Dalot as occasional cover, United’s depth in that area is thin.
Even the new midfield signing Baleba can be deployed at left‑back in an emergency, but that is far from ideal. Neville concluded by stressing the strategic importance of acting now. "If Carrick can allocate some of the money left in this window to bring in a centre‑back and a full‑back, it would dramatically change the dynamics of United’s season," he said.
He acknowledged that Carrick might try to restructure the team tactically to compensate for the lack of new defenders, but argued that a genuine signing would provide a far more stable foundation. In summary, Neville’s message to Manchester United is clear: the club has invested heavily in midfield and attack, but the defensive unit remains under‑resourced. With the transfer deadline looming, United must decide whether to continue the incremental approach or make a decisive move to secure at least two defenders. Failure to do so could see the team continue to leak goals, jeopardising their ambitions in both domestic and European competitions.