Manchester United's Transfer Plans: Final Reinforcements Before Deadline
Manchester United are not done yet. Not by a long way.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has outlined three more positions Manchester United are actively exploring before the summer window shuts, as Michael Carrick pushes for a squad he believes can “do something special” this season.
United eye further reinforcements
United have already been busy. Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Karl Darlow headline a window that has refreshed the spine of Carrick’s side and added experience in goal. After that early flurry, though, the market around Old Trafford has felt quieter.
Behind the scenes, it hasn’t stopped.
Romano reports that United are still working on three areas: a third midfielder to follow Tielemans and Santos, a left-back to support and cover Luke Shaw, and potentially a new striker if the right deal drops into their lap.
Carrick has publicly backed the quality of his current group, but he hasn’t hidden the fact that there is still work going on.
On his YouTube channel, Romano explained that Carrick views the squad as “very good and well balanced” but accepts it “can still improve,” with “one or two positions” being targeted. Those positions are no secret now: left-back, central midfield, and a possible attacking addition if market conditions align.
The message from Romano is clear: he still expects United to be active before the window closes.
Rashford at the heart of Carrick’s plans
If United do add a forward, it will be to complement Marcus Rashford, not to replace him.
Romano has shed light on Carrick’s stance on Rashford after the forward’s return to the club, and the mood around one of United’s key figures sounds overwhelmingly positive.
Carrick has spoken glowingly in public, describing Rashford as arriving in “a very good mood,” capable of giving the team “something different and something special,” and stressing how well he knows the player. According to Romano, that optimism is not just for the cameras.
He reveals that the same upbeat tone has been consistent in private conversations too. Carrick, he says, is “more than happy to continue with Marcus Rashford,” underlining the England international’s importance to United’s attacking blueprint this season.
No drama. No uncertainty. Just a manager backing one of his main men.
Mainoo’s World Cup, beyond the minutes
Kobbie Mainoo’s situation has been different, but Carrick’s handling of the young midfielder speaks just as loudly.
Mainoo did not play a single minute for England at the World Cup, a detail that could easily be framed as a frustration or a missed opportunity. Carrick refuses to see it that way.
He revealed he stayed in touch with Mainoo throughout the tournament — “not loads, but little bits” — offering support as the teenager navigated the unique pressures of a World Cup without the release of game time.
Carrick cut through the glamour around the competition. From the outside, he said, people see only “the glitz, the glamour and all the positive sides of football,” but he reminded that “players are human beings” who experience “ups and downs” and need backing, not judgement.
For Mainoo, the experience still mattered. Carrick called it “a good experience” and emphasised the scale of the step: it is a World Cup, after all. At his age, simply being there is a marker of how far and how fast he has come.
“He’s still such a young man and he’s achieved so much, so quickly,” Carrick said. “To be at the stage he’s at is an achievement.”
United’s summer, then, is moving on two tracks. New faces are expected to arrive, targeted to sharpen specific areas. At the same time, Carrick is doubling down on the talent he already has, from a senior star like Rashford to a rising one like Mainoo.
The squad is evolving. The ambition is clear. The only question now is how bold United are prepared to be before deadline day slams shut.
