Michael Carrick spent 12 years and 464 games in Manchester United’s midfield. He knows what the job looks like up close. So it makes sense that his first summer as full-time manager is built around reshaping that exact area of the pitch. But the plan has already shifted gears, and not necessarily because Carrick wanted it to.
United’s first midfield signing was Andrey Santos, a 21-year-old Brazilian who cost an initial £48 million from Chelsea. The second is expected to be Youri Tielemans, who will trigger a £35 million release clause in his Aston Villa contract. That’s about £83 million for two players. By itself that’s a lot of money, but in the current market it’s almost bargain-bin spending for a club that used to throw £70 million at a single forward without blinking.
The original plan looked different. United wanted Ederson from Atalanta, a player with one year left on his deal and a reasonable fee attached. But he failed a medical and the deal went on hold. They also pursued Aurelien Tchouameni, Elliot Anderson, and Mateus Fernandes. Tchouameni signed a new deal at Real Madrid. Anderson is heading to Manchester City for a massive fee. Fernandes went to Tottenham for around £85 million. That’s three top targets off the board.
Second-tier targets or smart value plays
The danger is obvious. United are getting outbid by clubs who have been more disciplined with their books in recent years. Spurs spent £100 million on Sandro Tonali last summer and then another £85 million on Fernandes. City will pay roughly £116 million for Anderson. United are operating a tier below that, and the question is whether that’s by necessity or by design.
Tielemans is 29 years old. He has no resale value. But he is coming off a brilliant 2024-25 season where he won Villa’s player of the year award and scored in the Europa League final. He knows how to run a game from midfield. The fact that he’s available for a third of what top midfielders go for these days says more about the contract structure he signed at Villa than it does about his ability. And getting him out of Villa Park weakens a direct rival for a Champions League spot, especially with Amadou Onana out with a long-term knee injury.
Santos is the wildcard. He started only 13 league games for Chelsea last season. But his per-90 metrics for progressive passes were the best among any Premier League midfielder under 22. He has potential. He is also inexperienced, and if United don’t sign another midfielder to sit deeper, Santos might end up as the default starter next to Kobbie Mainoo rather than a player eased into the lineup.
Casemiro left a hole that hasn’t been filled. Tielemans and Mainoo are both better suited to playing alongside a true defensive midfielder, not replacing one. That leaves a gap in the squad that still needs addressing.
United have not ruled out going back for Ederson if his medical issues clear up. And the club might still look for a third midfield addition before the window closes. But the shape of this rebuild is already clear. It’s not the blockbuster overhaul some expected. It’s a more measured, cost-conscious approach, built around players who fit Carrick’s understanding of what the position requires.
Tielemans and Santos will have to prove they belong in that conversation. Carrick knows the standard. Now they have to meet it.
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