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Michael Carrick's departure hasn't resolved everything. Manchester United's approach to transfers is facing growing criticism after the club endured a historically poor start to the current campaign.
As of the November international break, the club—ranked as England's most valuable by Forbes—finds itself languishing in the Premier League's relegation zone, having claimed just a single win (against newly promoted Ipswich Town) throughout the entire season.
Following an unsustainably impressive run under Carrick in the second half of 2025–26, familiar problems have returned with full force. Fitness and squad depth concerns were widespread heading into the new season, yet United's leadership neglected to tackle these issues despite the additional demands of a Champions League return.
Rather than strengthening across all areas while the club held a position of advantage during the last transfer window, director of football Jason Wilcox and the decision makers concentrated exclusively on bolstering central midfield—bringing in Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans for a combined fee of $190 million.
Only the last of the three has featured consistently so far in 2026–27. Baleba arrived with a pre-existing injury before sustaining a fresh hamstring problem in the Roma victory. Santos, 22, has meanwhile been deployed primarily as a backup option.
Top Target Anderson Wanted United Move
A report from The Athletic sheds revealing light on how United ended up with their so-far disappointing midfield additions.
It is alleged that a poorly executed transfer strategy meant the club missed out on their genuine targets, with the players United ultimately signed during the summer reportedly being "seventh or eighth on United's list".
Elliot Anderson is said to have been United's primary target, followed by Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Alex Scott, Ederson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Anderson ultimately made the move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City in a deal valued at over £115 million ($150 million). Notably, however, The Times report that Anderson had actually been keen on joining the red side of Manchester, but United declined to meet Forest's asking price.
Bouaddi took the same path to City, while Fernandes and Tonali also slipped through United's grasp, opting to sign for Tottenham Hotspur instead.