Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick is working to solve his team's midfield problems following a 2-0 defeat to promoted Hull City last weekend. The result raised immediate questions about the club's summer transfer strategy after new midfield signings failed to deliver an immediate impact at the MKM Stadium.
The defeat came despite Manchester United spending £85m on midfielders Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans during the transfer window. Santos arrived from Chelsea for £50m in July, while Tielemans joined shortly after United triggered his £35m buyout clause at Aston Villa.
As Manchester United boarded their team bus back from Hull, beaten and embarrassed, Carrick faced major concerns over his new midfield partnership. Both Santos and Tielemans struggled to contain the opposition before being taken off in a 67th-minute double substitution with United already trailing 2-0.
The expensive pair were upstaged by Hull City's pairing of Regan Slater, who was bought for £50,000, and Matt Crooks, a 32-year-old veteran of the English Football League. Crooks had previously scored in Middlesbrough's shock FA Cup victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2022, and his only other club since then was Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake. The loss followed a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in United's final pre-season friendly.
Arrival of Carlos Baleba
Carrick insisted the setback was only one match, and he was buoyed by progress back in Manchester, where Carlos Baleba underwent his medical before completing a £70m move from Brighton this week. Manchester United agreed to pay £65m in up-front fees with a further £5m structured in add-ons for the 22-year-old Cameroon international defensive midfielder.
Manchester United first inquired about Baleba last summer, but they were put off by Brighton's valuation of more than £100m. Club insiders revealed that Baleba remained under consideration all summer at the right price, allowing United to wait patiently before securing him for £30m less than his valuation a year ago. Negotiations moved quickly once United made their formal approach.
Baleba suffered a dip in form last season, which may have been influenced by missing out on his dream transfer to Old Trafford. The midfielder arrived with an ankle injury, meaning he will miss Sunday's fixture against Ipswich Town at Old Trafford and will remain sidelined for several weeks.
"It's not always straightforward, and things have got to drop," Carrick said. "In the end, we've been patient. We wanted to get the right players in that fit the group and will take us forward, and Carlos is definitely one of them. We’re delighted to have him and once he gets going in the next two to three weeks he’ll be really strong."
Transfer budget and rival spending
The midfield rebuild took a far more circuitous route than last summer's transfer window, when Manchester United acted decisively to bolster their attack by signing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko. In June, United agreed a £38m deal with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Ederson, but pulled out after an issue emerged during his medical examination.
United's top target Elliot Anderson ultimately joined rivals Manchester City for £116m, a price tag United could not match while operating within a tighter budget. Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur also beat United to key targets by submitting an £85m bid for Mateus Fernandes and securing Sandro Tonali for £100m. Meanwhile, media reports linking United to Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni always remained fanciful as rival clubs outspent them.
Squad options and tactical balance
Carrick plans to manage central midfield by picking primarily from a group of four key players. He has two defensive holding midfielders in Baleba and Santos, alongside two progressive central midfielders in Tielemans and 21-year-old Kobbie Mainoo. Additional central depth comes from Mason Mount, who impressed before suffering another pre-season injury, and twin brothers Tyler and Jack Fletcher, who are training with the first-team squad at the Carrington training complex.
Mainoo, who signed a new contract in April, expects regular playing time after nearly leaving Old Trafford last season under former manager Ruben Amorim. Mainoo entered the match against Hull as a substitute while recovering fitness after a frustrating World Cup campaign with England. Amorim had previously altered the midfield dynamic by playing Bruno Fernandes in a deeper role alongside Casemiro, allowing Carrick to pair Mainoo with the veteran Brazilian during the second half of last season.
Replacing Casemiro presents a major tactical challenge for Carrick. Casemiro left as a free agent this summer after scoring nine goals last season, which was more than Baleba, Santos, Tielemans, and Mainoo scored combined. The 34-year-old Brazilian also completed more forward passes per game than Tielemans and covered more ground than Baleba. Fellow midfielder Manuel Ugarte remained at the club only because of a knee injury sustained at the World Cup, having otherwise been expected to leave.
Midfield history and future demands
Manchester United have spent two decades searching for worthy successors to historic midfield legends such as Bryan Robson, Paul Ince, Roy Keane, and Paul Scholes. Numerous expensive signings have failed to meet expectations at Old Trafford, including Paul Pogba, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Fred, Morgan Schneiderlin, and Ugarte. Carrick himself was the last major midfield signing to succeed at the club when he arrived 20 years ago as a player.
With Manchester United competing in the UEFA Champions League this season, Carrick must establish tactical chemistry quickly while encouraging his team to play on the front foot and pass forward rapidly. "I think we’ve got a really good balance," Carrick said. "We’ve certainly got youth in there. And when I say youth, that comes with a lot of experience and not youth where it’s really young, with Youri and Mason to balance that off."
Carrick expressed confidence that his revamped unit will adapt to the demands of the domestic and European campaign. "Obviously it’s picking the right balance, the right combinations, at certain times," Carrick added. "I think it’s a really strong midfield, and a really strong unit, so I’m really happy with that."
