Manchester United has completed the biggest priority in the summer transfer window of 2026 when spending more than 150 million pounds to bring Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba to Old Trafford. However, their squad restructuring plan still has an important gap in defense.
The left-back position is originally on Man United's list of upgrades. The dependence on Luke Shaw is becoming increasingly problematic, especially when the English player has turned 30 and has a history of injuries. Last season, Shaw played 38 matches in the Premier League, but that was an exception compared to previous seasons.
In the 5-2 win over Ipswich Town, Shaw made a mistake leading to the opponent's opening goal and he himself admitted responsibility after the match. This performance further raised questions about Shaw's ability to maintain his form.
The Red Devils" have identified some targets but could not complete any deal. Lewis Hall is the most prominent name after an impressive season at Newcastle. However, Newcastle does not want to sell more key players after having parted ways with many important players. In case Hall is allowed to leave, the fee may also exceed Man United's ability to pay.
Alejandro Balde of Barcelona was also put on the watch list. Man United contacted him on the last day of the transfer window to seek a loan deal, but ultimately did not proceed with this deal.
Jorge Salinas of Racing Santander is another option. This defender is highly rated in La Liga and has a relatively low release clause. However, the Old Trafford club has not made an official offer.
In the final hours, Rayan Ait-Nouri suddenly became a target for Man United. They contacted Manchester City to ask about the possibility of borrowing the Algerian defender. However, Man City is only willing to negotiate if the agreement includes a buyout clause. Man United does not want to commit to a long-term deal, so the plan quickly collapsed.
Carrick will have to continue to manage with the current force. Diogo Dalot is one of the options that can switch to the left wing, while Harry Amass is also retained after being linked with several Championship teams. However, having to use temporary solutions is not an ideal option if M.U wants to maintain stability throughout the season.
It is worth mentioning that Man United's defense has not been significantly strengthened in the past 2 years. This is identified as the next area to be reformed, but the plan is likely to wait until next summer.
Meanwhile, Man United has spent most of their resources on the midfield. Andrey Santos, Tielemans and Baleba give Carrick more options in the central area, but ignoring the left-back position causes imbalance in the reform process to still exist.
If Shaw continues to have fitness or form problems, Carrick will have to use Dalot, Amass or players who are not purely left-backs. With a denser schedule when Man United returns to the European arena, this could become their fatal weakness.
