United have won just one of their opening six Premier League matches and were knocked out of the League Cup by Brighton after surrendering a two-goal lead at Old Trafford. Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham, who began the match bottom of the table, added to the pressure on manager Michael Carrick.
According to The Sun, the club’s hierarchy was dissatisfied with the second phase of its squad rebuild, despite spending around £155 million during the summer. United focused their investment on midfield, signing Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, but missed out on several of their preferred targets.
Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ederson were reportedly higher on United’s list. Anderson ultimately joined Manchester City, while Tottenham secured Fernandes before signing Sandro Tonali. United also abandoned their pursuit of Ederson after a medical reportedly raised a significant concern about his knee.
The club then turned to Tielemans and Santos, who were described by United insiders as “a long way down the list”. Tielemans arrived from Aston Villa for a reported £35 million, while Santos joined from Chelsea for around £50 million.
Their early contributions have raised questions. Tielemans has started every game so far, but his place could be under threat following Baleba’s debut against Tottenham. Santos, meanwhile, has played only 16 minutes of Premier League football since starting the opening-weekend defeat against Hull.
Baleba, signed from Brighton for a reported £70 million, had been a long-term target and made his first appearance against Tottenham after recovering from an ankle injury. His arrival has added athleticism to the midfield, but the broader recruitment strategy remains under scrutiny.
Manchester United’s failure to sign a left-back is another source of frustration. The club held exploratory discussions over Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, who was reportedly interested in the move, but Newcastle moved to protect their position and the England international signed a new contract.
The lack of cover has become more significant with Luke Shaw having missed three matches last month and Patrick Dorgu now facing a spell out after an injury on international duty.
United spent £225.2 million on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Šeško and Senne Lammens in the previous summer window, when the priority was to rebuild the attack. The latest investment was intended to strengthen midfield, but defensive gaps remain.
The poor results have placed Carrick under pressure, although the reported concerns extend beyond the manager to those responsible for recruitment. United must now find a way to improve results with the players already available, while planning how to address the gaps in the squad during the next transfer window.