Michael Carrick urges Manchester United to make more summer signings

Michael Carrick urges Manchester United to make more summer signings

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has called on the club to increase its activity in the transfer market as he prepares for his first full Premier League campaign at Old Trafford.

While Carrick stated he is delighted with the business completed so far, he has repeatedly urged the club to keep pushing for more quality and depth. During a recent 25-minute conversation at the club's training camp in Carton House, Carrick mentioned the need to continue pushing for recruitment on four separate occasions.

United have spent between £83m and £85m this summer to secure Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea, along with the arrival of back-up goalkeeper Karl Darlow, who joined as an out-of-contract player. Carrick specifically praised the impact of Santos, following his £50m move, describing the young player's personality and maturity as a dream.

But the squad still faces gaps. Carrick has identified weaknesses at left-back and in central midfield. These needs are heightened by the club's return to the Champions League after a two-year absence, a move that Carrick notes will place greater demands on the team's schedule as they attempt to compete on four fronts.

The club's current spending has lagged behind several rivals. United have spent less than newly promoted Coventry City and Ipswich Town this summer. Furthermore, they are the only member of the big six that has not spent £100m on a single player this window, while Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City have all done so. Liverpool matched that figure twice in 2025 and could potentially do so again for Bradley Barcola.

This frugal approach is reflected in the club's record transfer fee of £89m for Paul Pogba, which has remained unchallenged for a decade. United have also pulled out of races for Matheus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson because they refused to match the asking prices of rival offers.

Carrick acknowledged the financial realities but suggested the club may eventually need to break its spending record for the right target.

"Money's money, I get that. We feel like we have to be pushing for everything we're involved in, while being realistic of what the recent history's looked like over a period of time."

Michael Carrick, Manchester United head coach, via BBC Sport

Despite the public calls for more signings, Carrick described his communication with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox as constant.

The transfer window closes on 1 September. Until then, uncertainty remains regarding the future of Marcus Rashford. Despite multiple opportunities, Carrick declined to confirm whether Rashford would still be a United player when the window shuts. Rashford returns to the squad following loan spells at Barcelona and Aston Villa, where some supporters grew frustrated with his perceived coolness toward the club.

Carrick, who has previously been a teammate of Rashford, insisted the England forward will be treated exactly like any other player. Rashford is expected to feature in a match against AC Milan in Wroclaw, Poland, on Saturday.

The squad also sees the return of Kobbie Mainoo. Carrick, who took over from Ruben Amorim in January after a brief two-game interim period under Darren Fletcher, has worked to rebuild Mainoo's confidence. Mainoo had been largely ignored by Amorim last season and was not used by Thomas Tuchel during the World Cup, despite England's need for ball-retaining midfielders.

Carrick noted a personal connection to Mainoo's struggle, having been overlooked by Fabio Capello for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He revealed he spoke with Mainoo throughout the recent World Cup and described the young midfielder as being in great spirits this week.

On a personal note, Carrick reported a successful Thursday after his daughter received her expected A-level grades. He has enjoyed a relaxed pre-season schedule, with the team traveling to Scandinavia for matches against Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Rosenborg, and Wrexham, before a fixture against Leeds in Dublin.