Manchester United have spent too long chasing targets they could not land, but four decisive moves could still turn a broken summer into a meaningful rebuild.
Manchester United’s transfer window has been messy, underpowered and, at times, baffling. Yet, with four late signings, the club could still turn an unimpressive summer into one that at least makes sense in football terms.
A midfield left exposed
Manchester United’s biggest issue is obvious: the midfield has been allowed to thin out far too much. Casemiro’s exit left a hole of experience and physical presence, while Manuel Ugarte was expected to be offloaded before his injury complicated the picture.
That left Kobbie Mainoo as the only established central midfield option, and that is far too much responsibility for one young player to carry, though they have signed Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. Reports have consistently suggested that United wanted at least two midfield signings, and ideally three, to give the squad real balance in the double pivot.
The problem is not just numbers. It is the type of players they have been able to sign, or rather not sign. Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes all moved on to rival clubs, while other ambitious links such as Carlos Baleba, Bruno Guimaraes, and Ayyoub Bouaddi feel financially out of reach at present. United have spent the summer looking like a club chasing the market rather than shaping it.
Why the current mix is not enough
Youri Tielemans is a good footballer and a proven Premier League name, but he is not the hard-running midfielder United need in difficult matches. The Belgian is best when his team controls possession, finds angles and lets him work the ball through pressure. In games where United are pinned back, the Tielemans-Mainoo pairing could struggle to protect the back line and cover large spaces.
Andrey Santos adds a different profile, but he remains more of a long-term bet than a finished solution. He has real potential, yet expecting him to arrive and immediately anchor a midfield rebuild would be unfair. A club trying to return to the top of the table cannot rely on promise alone. It needs players who can start, suffer, and win ugly when necessary.
Tchouameni changes the picture
That is why Aurelien Tchouameni remains such an important name. Manchester United’s interest in the Real Madrid midfielder has been well documented, and reports have suggested that Madrid could be open to business if the right circumstances emerge (if they end up signing Rodri).
More importantly, the French international looks like the sort of player who would immediately raise the level of the whole midfield unit. He offers what Manchester United lack without Casemiro: strength, discipline, reading of danger and the ability to protect the defence without hiding on the ball.
If the club could land him, it would not merely be another signing. It would be a statement that the rebuild is finally being done properly. Even if the fee is high, this is the sort of move that repairs the damage caused by several missed targets and gives the squad a proper spine.
Three more gaps to fix
Manchester United’s problems do not stop in central areas. They also need a striker who can support Benjamin Sesko, especially if Joshua Zirkzee is sold amid his links with Juventus. The current forward line has enough variety, but not enough depth.
A free agent such as Dusan Vlahovic or even Ivan Toney, now plying his trade in the Middle East, would give United a more direct and reliable option when they need a different kind of threat. Toney would make a lot more sense, as he is Premier League proven and could help in Sesko’s development with all his experience.
Left-back is another area that cannot be ignored. Luke Shaw is 31 and has a long injury history. Patrick Dorgu brings energy, but he is often used in more advanced roles, and United’s European schedule means they need another dependable option. A squad fighting on multiple fronts cannot afford to treat full-back depth as an afterthought. They are already making moves to prise Lewis Hall away from Newcastle United.
A winger would round it off
The final piece is wide cover. If Marcus Rashford leaves, Manchester United will need another winger to compete with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Amad Diallo. Depth on the flanks matters because it keeps pressure on the starters and allows a manager to change games without sacrificing quality.
Manchester United have too often carried too few attackers who can perform different roles, and that has made them predictable. So yes, the summer has been poor so far. But four late signings, a midfielder of Tchouameni’s calibre, a striker, a left-back and a winger, would at least make the window feel purposeful. It would not erase the missed opportunities, but it would give United a squad that looks capable of competing rather than merely surviving.