What If Man Utd Had Done It Right? The Summer Moves That Could Have Saved the Red Devils From Disaster

The optimism that swept through Manchester United in the second half of the 2025–26 season has well and truly evaporated.

A string of poor results has cast doubt over the future of manager Michael Carrick, while center back Lisandro Martínez shone a light on the club's recruitment team, claiming they had failed to adequately build upon the promising start of Carrick's tenure.

The problem isn't that United were inactive in the summer, but rather that their priorities may have been misplaced at a time when broader squad depth was desperately needed.

With the luxury of hindsight and the freedom to explore what-ifs, here's a look at how United should have navigated the summer transfer window.

Man Utd's 2026 Summer Signings

Where Man Utd Went Wrong

United have taken a curiously compartmentalized approach to rebuilding their squad. In 2025, the attack was the priority; 2026 was earmarked for midfield improvements, with defensive reinforcements penciled in across the following two windows in 2027.

The consequence of this approach was that they flooded their own market and ended up missing out on players who could have made a far greater impact.

United set out to overhaul their midfield this summer without a coherent long-term strategy. Baleba had long been a target, but the Tielemans deal came as a surprise, and the costly pursuit of Santos felt like an unnecessary gamble given the Brazilian's underwhelming 18 months in English football.

With hindsight, could United have reversed their decision to allow Casemiro to depart? His exit was confirmed in January, just before a remarkable upturn in form had the Brazilian looking like a world-class player once more. BBC Sport report that his enormous wages—£350,000 ($469,000) per week—were a key factor in his release, and given United's cost-cutting drive at the time, it may have been unavoidable.

The midfield focus appeared to stem more from a shortage of numbers than from any belief that weaknesses elsewhere were manageable. Years of poor squad planning, compounded by the ill-timed World Cup injury to Manuel Ugarte, left United with little choice.

It's hardly a controversial opinion to say United needed a left back, while an additional center back would have been enormously beneficial, and even a budget striker could have made a real difference in a side that has long harbored concerns over Benjamin Šeško's injury record.

All of those needs were deferred to a later date, and United are now suffering the consequences.

The Players Man Utd Should Have Targeted

To begin with, it's worth acknowledging that midfield reinforcements were genuinely urgent. Ugarte's injury and Casemiro's departure left Kobbie Mainoo as the sole natural central midfielder in the first-team setup. That clearly had to be addressed.

Tielemans was a sensible, cost-effective addition and one United were right to pursue from a financial standpoint. It would be too easy to use hindsight to criticize this move — United were widely applauded for getting the deal done at the time.

The Belgian should have been followed through the door by Éderson, yet the Red Devils walked away from a $52 million (£39 million) deal for the Brazilian due to fitness concerns. Éderson has since featured in nine of Atalanta's 10 matches this season, seemingly having put whatever issue gave United pause firmly behind him.

With midfield firmly on the agenda, United's hierarchy appeared fixated on Baleba, causing them to overlook alternatives such as Mamadou Sangaré or Morten Hjulmand. More affordable options available this summer included Neil El Aynaoui, Chema Andrés, or even Youssouf Fofana, who is said to have attracted United's interest during a loan spell at Sevilla from AC Milan.

Had they been more prudent with their spending, United could have accelerated their defensive overhaul.

A move for Newcastle United left back Lewis Hall never came to fruition before he penned a new deal and raised his market value. Could United have entered the race for Barcelona's Alejandro Balde before a last-ditch Deadline Day approach? Would an earlier offer for Pep Chavarría have put Chelsea off? Two fellow Spaniards, Alejandro Grimaldo and Miguel Gutiérrez, were also available this summer.

At center back, Aston Villa's openness to selling Ezri Konsa was precisely the kind of opportunity United should have pounced on, even if persuading him to snub Arsenal was always going to be a long shot. Luka Vušković was an obvious signing that Brighton & Hove Albion were eager to secure the moment it became available, while the Red Devils would likely have had sufficient leverage to pip Leeds United to Tarik Muharemović for $45 million (£34 million).

Would there have been enough funds remaining to bring in a dependable, experienced striker like Danny Welbeck? His move to Chelsea was a bargain, but he might have been tempted by the prospect of returning to Old Trafford, where his consistent performances would have taken the pressure off Šeško and Joshua Zirkzee.

The more ambitious might point to Robert Lewandowski as a potential target, though his sights appeared set on Major League Soccer when he opted to leave Barcelona. A more realistic option would have been Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was deeply unsettled at Crystal Palace and came close to joining AC Milan before a minor knee issue intervened. He would have represented a low-risk, high-reward acquisition.

Preventable holes were left throughout the United squad, which required strengthening across every area ahead of their return to the Champions League and a campaign that should have yielded deeper progress in both domestic cups — before the stunning Carabao Cup elimination at the hands of Brighton. A narrow focus may ultimately have cost the Red Devils dearly.