Manchester United Transfer Window Review starts with a verdict: United fixed one major problem and left two others exposed. Michael Carrick finally has a midfield built for his system, yet the squad still has obvious risks at left-back and centre-forward. The club spent heavily by their own recent standards, but modestly beside several Premier League rivals.
United completed the summer with Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and goalkeeper Karl Darlow, while Rasmus Højlund left for Napoli. That was serious work in one department, restrained spending elsewhere, and a few decisions that could bite hard.
The midfield rebuild makes the strongest case for the club’s approach. United committed about £148m on permanent signings before add-ons. Baleba arrived from Brighton for an initial £65m, with £5m in possible extras; Santos came from Chelsea for £48m with bonuses that can lift the figure to £50m, and Tielemans moved from Aston Villa for £35m.
Those numbers show clear intent. More importantly, each player offers something different, so Carrick can change the shape and tempo of matches without relying on the same combination every week.
Manchester United Transfer Window Review: The midfield call
Baleba looks like the headline acquisition, even though he arrived carrying an ankle problem and missed early weeks. At 22, he gives United ball-winning strength, coverage and ball carrying through pressure. Santos brings younger legs, clean distribution and late runs, while Tielemans supplies control, passing range and years of Premier League experience.
United needed bodies after Casemiro left and Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury, so Carrick has plenty of options in the middle. Yet quantity never guarantees balance. Carrick must fit four midfield signings around Bruno Fernandes without blunting the side’s attacking threat.
The left-back decision creates a very different mood. United spent the summer looking at Lewis Hall, but Newcastle rejected the enquiry. With Tyrell Malacia gone, Luke Shaw stands as the only senior specialist there, while Harry Amass remains an option. United considered alternatives, including Alejandro Balde, David Raum and Rayan Aït-Nouri, yet none crossed the line.
That choice saves money, but it places a huge burden on Shaw’s fitness. A long season can expose thin positions quickly, and left-back now ranks among United’s clearest gaps. Shaw’s fitness record makes that gamble awkward, because Carrick cannot rotate him every three days without a trusted alternative.
Manchester United Transfer Window Review: The attack problem
Up front, United accepted another sizeable gamble. Højlund completed a move to Napoli for a reported £38m, while Joshua Zirkzee stayed after late approaches failed to produce an exit. United therefore kept two forwards the club may not fully trust and lost another who could still stretch opponents and occupy centre-backs.
The club chose not to buy a replacement. Matheus Cunha can play higher, while Benjamin Šeško and Bryan Mbeumo provide attacking options, but neither offers the same reference point as a natural No 9.
Financially, United deserve credit for resisting the frenzy. Premier League clubs spent £3.46bn, yet United finished below that level, with estimates putting their outlay around £148m to £160m. Ipswich spent more, and Hull’s total reached roughly £156m in some datasets, given United’s size and Champions League return.
The restraint should help wage control and reduce the risk of another expensive squad becoming difficult to shift. Still, transfer windows judge teams on football needs as well as balance sheets. United sold Højlund and several fringe players but struggled to generate larger exits, limiting funds for late additions.
There is a wider tactical point here. Carrick wanted more athleticism and control through midfield, and United delivered that brief closely. Baleba can cover ground, Santos can progress the ball, and Tielemans can control tempo. That gives United a stronger platform than last season against aggressive pressers. However, the new midfield cannot solve every problem.
If Shaw misses time, if Højlund’s goals prove difficult to replace, or if United lose another attacker, Carrick may find himself asking the same squad to compensate in too many places at once. That complicates the case for restraint.
So the 6.5/10 mark feels fair. United addressed the central midfield problem with three meaningful signings and kept spending below the biggest spenders, matching INEOS’s financial reset. Yet the club left Carrick exposed at left-back and centre-forward after Højlund’s departure.
Manchester United Transfer Window Review sits between smart spending and incomplete squad building. The new arrivals can raise the team’s level immediately, although the missing pieces could prove just as significant as the players United bought, once injuries and fixture congestion pile up. That tension sits at the heart of this window.
There was a clear financial logic behind the summer. INEOS didn’t chase every available name, and the club avoided another bloated wage bill that could create headaches for years. That discipline matters after several expensive contracts complicated squad planning in previous seasons. Yet restraint has a limit in elite football. Sometimes the missing £20m signing becomes the difference between having adequate cover and having a glaring weakness.
For now, United look better equipped in midfield, somewhat thinner up front and plainly vulnerable at left-back. That’s a strange combination for a club aiming to climb the table, because the strongest work came in the area that already had several experienced options once the new arrivals joined. Manchester United Transfer Window Review therefore leaves Carrick with a more athletic core, but his margin for injury-related disruption looks narrower than the headline spending might suggest.
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The summer wasn’t reckless. It wasn’t complete either. United made sensible financial calls, recruited players who suit Carrick’s football and resisted several expensive detours, yet the unresolved positions could dominate the conversation once the first serious injury list appears. The midfield should look very different, and Old Trafford will soon find out whether that alone can carry the rest.
