Why Man Utd are digging their heels in over two much-needed transfers as they desperately look to change reputation

AN OFFICIAL at Manchester United said the busiest it got last week was involving the change of coach for the women’s team. For context, United Women’s press office is depleted as they wait for a new hire to serve out their notice period. So others had to muck in. Andrey Santos cost £50m and still has something to prove in the Premier League Credit: Getty Youri Tielemans had a £35m release clause with Utd fans seemingly happy with this one Credit: Getty Yet you can imagine jaws dropping from online fans whose happiness hinges on transfers. United have not announced an incoming for four weeks. Sun Sport revealed at the time United would hit “pause” on transfer activity after the flurry of arrivals and reassess the lay of the land. United have belatedly decided that it is a full back, rather than a winger, they could do with on their left-hand side. That is not entirely out of choice. For all the smiles and team bonding that the United squad will enjoy in Maynooth in Ireland this week, there is unease at hierarchical level that their highest earner is back on the books. The inability to shift Marcus Rashford has effectively blocked United from recruiting a new winger or forward. The lingering presence of Joshua Zirkzee has also had a bearing. United cannot just stockpile players if there is not going to be a taker for the one at the back of the queue. BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Matheus Cunha and Patrick Dorgu have played on the left wing for Michael Carrick and that is Rashford’s role. So that is three left wingers. It would be senseless to add another with no guarantee that a club’s executive will pick up the phone and offer to take Rashford off United’s hands. United have leverage to reinforce at left back as Luke Shaw’s deputy is the teenager Harry Amass. United are prepared to cash in on Amass after his eye-catching performances on loan at Sheffield Wednesday. United have misread the market, though. They took so long to decide on a left back that by the time they turned to Lewis Hall Newcastle had sold Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes for £244m. The fire sale has to be extinguished at some stage. Hall wants to leave Newcastle, which possibly gives United enough encouragement to persist. But they have underestimated how they are viewed on Tyneside, where many are convinced a mythical rivalry continues from the Kevin Keegan era 30 years ago. Marcus Rashford doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon Credit: Getty Many United fans will be shocked that Zirkzee is still at the club Credit: Getty Newcastle have not sold a player to United since Andy Cole in January 1995, such a scandalous sale that Keegan addressed disgruntled fans on the St James’ Park steps. United have bought players from Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham more recently. United’s early error was to make a beeline for the Atalanta midfielder Ederson, who had a year left on his contract. That deal collapsed and the £35m was at least better spent on Youri Tielemans. Following the success of recruiting the Premier League-ready Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo last year, the logical first move was for Mateus Fernandes (Elliot Anderson was City-bound by then). Real Madrid and Arsenal stepped aside to seemingly leave United with a free run at the Portuguese. Then they were blown out of the water by Tottenham. Anderson moved for £116m and Fernandes cost £85m. The market inflation means the going rate for a Premier League-class midfielder is a minimum £80m and United do not believe Alex Scott or Carlos Baleba are worth that. Mateus Fernandes got relegated twice and still cost Spurs £85m Credit: Hotspur FC/Shutterstock Crysencio Summerville has taken the money and run to Saudi Arabia Credit: Getty It did not reflect well on United that their interest in winger Crysencio Summerville emerged only for him to take the money and run to Saudi Arabia. As understandable as it was of United not to fork out £85m for the twice-relegated Fernandes, seeing two targets at West Ham go to relegation fodder and the Middle East is an unflattering look. United’s financial discipline is overdue, though. They need a few calm summers to live down their reputation of overspending. The Casemiro, Antony, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund deals occurred within the past four years. The salary structure is stricter. The days when Mino Raiola had United over a barrel are long gone and chief executive Omar Berrada publicly stressed before taking over at United that the club would not “overpay”. Ideally, Bruno Fernandes would be the best-paid player to reflect his best-player status. It is awkward for United that Rashford, scorer of 15 goals for his parent club in three years, is above Fernandes. Glancing at the 13 Ineos-era signings, they only fell into the overpaying trap with Manuel Ugarte, a deal agreed for £50.75m. Tielemans came on against PSG as he gets used to his new surroundings Credit: Getty Santos has offered to assume the No6 role in the United side Credit: Getty United trumpeted that as a triumph, claiming Paris Saint-Germain wanted the £50m up front. Berrada ensured United did not break the £60m barrier for a signing in his first summer in 2024. That changed in the second out of necessity as United had failed to qualify for the Champions League in their worst season in 51 years. Cunha had a release clause (£62.5m) and although negotiations for Mbeumo and Sesko took their overall fees north of £70m, the investments paid off. Their matchwinners banked 29 Premier League points. As much as United are reining in their spending, they also have to live up to their billing as one of the world’s biggest clubs. The players have been queuing up to talk up a title challenge and the squad needs more than Tielemans and Andrey Santos to be equipped for that. United certainly have the headroom. Big earners are gone (Casemiro and Jadon Sancho), Champions League-related bonuses have kicked in from sponsors and Old Trafford regularly sells out. City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have made statement signings in Elliot Anderson, Bruno Guimaraes, Morgan Rogers and Sandro Tonali. At the time of their arrivals, Santos and Tielemans were not necessarily considered certain starters at the weekend. Carrick watches on in Sweden but will be eager for more transfer business Credit: Getty Mount went off injured on Saturday but is okay for the start of the season Credit: Getty The upcoming season will be the true litmus test of Carrick as a United coach, with no free midweeks. United play their first seven games in 29 days. Carrick’s first seven matches in charge last term took place over 43 days. When Carrick joined the coaching staff in 2018, he had a baptism of fire as assistant to Jose Mourinho. On the pre-season tour of the United States, Mourinho’s first words related to United’s preparation were, “Our pre-season is very bad.” It got worse amid in-house briefing and counter-briefing. Mourinho publicly agitated for two more players he never got. United will not encounter any rancour from the non-confrontational Carrick whilst the transfer window remains open. Carrick has done barely any external media over the past month but is scheduled to speak to dedicated correspondents in Ireland this week. It is an opportunity for him to make gentle demands or explicitly highlight weaknesses in the squad – no support striker for Benjamin Sesko, no outright defensive midfielder and no senior left back as the long-term heir to Shaw. Amazon are scheduled to film Carrick’s sit-down with journalists. That the documentary was confirmed less than a month after Carrick’s promotion to permanent head coach spoke volumes of the stability United have enjoyed since Ruben Amorim engineered his sacking in a press conference. Yet should Carrick toe the party line, it could count against him in the long run with the fanbase. It is a tactful balancing act, championing the current squad and acknowledging its flaws without going nuclear. There is no danger of Carrick doing the latter. There are enough fans online who have done that already.