Michael Carrick Sends Clear Message to Manchester United Board Regarding Transfer Window

Michael Carrick has sent a clear message to Manchester United's hierarchy, urging them to "keep pushing" for more transfers this summer. So far, the Red Devils have bolstered their midfield with Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea, while Karl Darlow arrived on a free transfer from Leeds as a backup goalkeeper. Despite these additions, their total spending of £85 million significantly lags behind their Premier League rivals.

A full month has passed since United announced a new signing, and with only 19 days remaining until the transfer window closes on September 1st, and the team's first match of the 2026/27 season just nine days away, Carrick felt compelled to make his stance clear.

"I think we have a pretty good balance in the squad, but we'd like more; we need to keep pushing for more," he told the Manchester Evening News.

Carrick is keen to bring in a left-back to compete with Luke Shaw, with Newcastle's Lewis Hall being a primary target, as well as another central midfielder. Having taken over as interim manager in January, replacing Ruben Amorim, his squad only had to contend with the Premier League. However, Carrick is well aware that the upcoming campaign will be far more demanding with United's return to the Champions League and participation in other cup competitions.

This summer has seen enormous transfer fees, with Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson, and Sandro Tonali all moving for £100 million or more. Notably, United's record transfer remains Paul Pogba's £89 million move from Juventus in 2016.

When asked if United might need to break that record this summer, Carrick responded: "It somewhat depends on the position, what you have, and what dynamic you need at certain times. Sometimes it's necessary if it's the right player."

Again, it's not just about the money; that doesn't guarantee success. It has to be the right player, someone better than what we currently have. That's something we must constantly strive for over time – to improve the squad in various ways," he added.

Carrick is extremely pleased with the impact Santos has made since joining from Chelsea for £50 million. The manager emphasized that communication with Football Director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada remains strong.

"We are in constant communication about the work we need to do and where we want to improve. We are clear in our message that we need to keep pushing, and there are certain things we want to try and do, but they also have to be the right ones."