Even the most ardent Manchester United fan would have struggled to foresee the huge impact Michael Carrick would have on the club following his arrival as interim coach in January.
United were seventh when he succeeded Ruben Amorim on a temporary basis but a remarkable run of form saw them finish in third place, marking a return to the Champions League following a two-year absence.
That achievement meant it was impossible for the United hierarchy to look elsewhere and Carrick was duly given the job on a permanent basis. With his feet under the table, the hard works starts now for the 45-year-old as he looks to bolster his squad.
Midfield was clearly an area of concern, especially with Casemiro departing, and the signings of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans appear solid, if slightly unspectacular, additions.
Tynan Thompson has arrived from Tottenham but he is one for the future, meaning United’s problem area in defence has still to be addressed.
Harry Maguire enjoyed a resurgence under Carrick but he is now 33 while Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez seem to spend as much time on the treatment table as they do the pitch.
Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven both have potential but former United hero Paul Scholes would like to see a top-class centre-half brought in.
He told The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast: “I think centre-half is probably the biggest [area that needs addressing]. You need to have centre-halves that are reliable for the Premier League. You’d like to have them [fit enough to play] in most games.
“Harry Maguire not so much, but Martinez picks up a lot of injuries. They’ve got the young lad Heaven, who I think is a really bright prospect, but he’s still going to make mistakes. He’s young.
“Centre-half is a position they need to address if they are going to be challenging towards the top end [of the league].”
Further forward, there is the Marcus Rashford conundrum.
The England winger has not played for his boyhood club since December 2024 following a falling out with Amorim and has spent the past 18 months on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona.
He proved his match-changing ability at Camp Nou once again and, if Carrick can get a tune out of the 28-year-old and rekindle his hunger to pull on the red shirt, then Rashford would enhance any team in world football.
It is also a big season for Benjamin Sesko. The Slovenian arrived 12 months ago and a disrupted pre-season meant he never got in a rhythm, despite ending the 2025/26 campaign as the club’s joint top-scorer in the league.
Sesko was a prolific marksman during his time at Salzburg and RB Leipzig and if he can hit the goals trail then United could be in for a strong season both domestically and in Europe.
Good enough to win the league? Probably not but a top-four spot ought to be a certainty.
Summer Ins and Outs at Manchester United
IN
Karl Darlow – free agent
Andrey Santos from Chelsea – £48m
Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa – £35m
Tynan Thompson from Tottenham – £4m
OUT
Altay Bayndir to Celta Vigo – season-long loan
Andre Onana to Trabzonspor – season-long loan
Casemiro – free agent
Jadon Sancho – free agent
Rasmus Hojlund to Napoli – £43m
Tyrell Malacia – free agent
Radek Vitek to Middlesbrough – £14m
What do Manchester United need before the window closes?
As mentioned, a central defender is likely to top Carrick’s list.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a move for a right-back either with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui fairly uninspiring options.
United also have just one centre-forward in Sesko. But with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha both able to play in the number nine role, Carrick may opt to deploy funds elsewhere.
One to watch at Manchester United
Shea Lacey has impressed in pre-season while 15-year-old JJ Gabriel has already been tipped as a future superstar at Old Trafford. But we’re going to go with a more familiar name who lost his way a touch last season: Amad Diallo.
Having made a name for himself with a series of sparkling displays in the 2024/25 campaign, the Ivory Coast winger struggled to replicate that form last season, scoring twice and adding three assists in 32 Premier League games. The talent is there, as shown again at the World Cup. Expect big things this year from the 24-year-old.
Prediction for Manchester United in the 2026/27 Premier League
It’s tough to see United slugging it out for the title with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City. But with Liverpool and Chelsea starting the season under new leadership, it is not difficult to see Carrick’s side being the best of the rest.
101 Great Goals Prediction: 3rd
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
