According to The Athletic, Carrick said in an interview in County Kildare, Ireland last week that Manchester United will continue to strengthen their squad this summer.
“We always want to improve,” he said. “We need more, and we will continue to look for ways to achieve that; it will never stop. We must keep moving forward.”
Whether these words were a statement addressed to fans dissatisfied with the stalled transfer activity, or a message to the management considering their next move, only Carrick himself knows. It could also simply be his frank answer to a direct question. In any case, a week later, his words have received a response. Manchester United are close to completing a signing that looks set to bring the team's summer transfer activity to a satisfactory level.
Baleba could bring something different to Manchester United than Tielemans and Kaua Santos; he combines energy, defensive toughness, and dribbling ability, a style that should fit well into Carrick's midfield system. United were aware of the terms of the transfer last summer, but didn't make an offer when Brighton's asking price clearly exceeded £100 million ($136.3 million). After two excellent seasons, Baleba's performance last season was less than ideal, with transfer rumors and injuries contributing to a decline in form. However, United have maintained their interest in him, even scouting him during the Africa Cup of Nations, where his performance for Cameroon was impressive.
In April, The Athletic reported that Manchester United were very likely to sign Bareba, and that the transfer fee was expected to be much lower. Although this took some time, during which Manchester United prioritized other targets, the information they had previously gathered on the 22-year-old has now led to a new round of contact.
However, this path forward hasn't been smooth. Just last weekend, Manchester United were still exploring terms to sign Lewis Skeley. The Arsenal player had been offered to United through intermediaries, and United were indeed interested. Skeley didn't get many starting opportunities under Arteta last season, meaning a departure seemed possible, despite his excellent performances in Arsenal's last two Champions League matches.
However, in recent days it has become clear that 19-year-old Lewis Skelley will not leave his parent club this summer, so Manchester United's full attention has turned to Baleba. The core of Manchester United's negotiations with Brighton is a transfer fee of approximately £65 million.
Mount's physical condition is also a factor. His excellent performances in preseason matches against Wrexham, Rosenborg, and Atletico Madrid have prompted renewed discussions within Manchester United about the most pressing position to strengthen. Given Mount's technical ability, the club believes he can frequently play in deeper midfield positions, and therefore, with funds to be allocated, some within the club are beginning to feel that left-back is the more urgent position to strengthen.
Luke Shaw started every Premier League game last season and performed exceptionally well, but he has played even more games this season, and he is now 31 years old. Manchester United will need to find a successor for him sooner or later.
However, Mount's substitution after just 19 minutes in the friendly against Paris Saint-Germain on August 8th prompted Manchester United to reassess him. Scans revealed only a minor hamstring injury. This injury alone is not enough to force United to refocus on midfield, but it serves as a reminder that Mount's availability has been problematic since his arrival from Chelsea in 2023.
Despite Mount's hard work and the consistent opinion of every manager on his professionalism, he has only played 72 games so far, with his longest consecutive appearance last season lasting only 8 games.
Therefore, Manchester United scouted players who could play both midfield and left-back. Lewis Skelley is a prime example, though he prefers playing in midfield; Real Madrid's Yannick Eduardo Camavinga was also mentioned. Baleba hasn't played left-back for Brighton yet, but he's left-footed, so playing that position at Manchester United isn't out of the question if needed. He has also played as a centre-back twice for Brighton.
However, Manchester United are still scouting a full-time left-back, but at this stage it seems more likely they will choose a lower-priced target, which means that progress on the formal pursuit of Newcastle player Lewis Hall has slowed down. If Zirkzee leaves, Manchester United are also weighing whether to bring in a striker.
On the attacking front, Benjamin Sheskov is getting closer to returning to the game. Having been sidelined for longer than expected due to a shin injury at the end of last season, he needs more time to recover. Following the plan devised by the club's medical staff, he has been training almost daily at the Carrington training ground throughout the summer in preparation for his return. Last week, he participated in several training sessions with his teammates.
His participation in training has increased further this week, and he is likely to be included in the squad for the league opener against Hull City. Benjamin Sheskov appears to have gained significant muscle mass, but he is expected to lose some more as the aerobic demands of matches increase.
Rashford will also be included in the squad for the match against Hull City. He made his first Manchester United appearance in 20 months as a substitute in Wrocław's game against AC Milan last Saturday. Wearing the number 9 jersey, Rashford signifies his renewed importance at the club. With Hoylen's permanent transfer to Napoli confirmed, Sheskov was initially considered the natural successor to that number, and the question was discussed, but the 23-year-old Slovenian striker prefers to continue wearing the number 30 he wore during his time at RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.
Sources close to the matter say Rashford will definitely remain at Manchester United after the transfer window deadline.
Once Sheskovic returns, Carrick will have more options in attack. Sheskovic (11 goals), Mbeumo (11 goals), and Matthäus Cunha (10 goals) all achieved double figures in Premier League goals in their first seasons with Manchester United, and none of these goals were penalties. This is the first time in five years that Manchester United have achieved this, the last time being under Solskjaer's management of Rashford, Bruno Salto, and Cavani. However, if Zirkzee leaves, Manchester United may still continue to strengthen this position.
On the defensive end, Carrick also faces a personnel selection dilemma.
Aiden Haven had an outstanding preseason, starting all six matches – a feat only Kaua Santos had achieved. Santos led all defenders with 358 minutes played, followed closely by Haven with 347 minutes. Luke Shaw reached 346 minutes after coming on as a substitute against Leeds United, while Maguire, who missed the entire Dublin game, still managed 343 minutes.
Lisandro Martinez is still recovering from his break after participating in the World Cup final, and Carrick did indeed prefer to use the more experienced and better-playing Argentine defender at the end of last season.
One of the highlights of the new season will be the competition among these left-sided center-backs, and 19-year-old Haven is currently performing quite well in the Premier League. Last season, his ground duel success rate reached 71.1%, ranking third among all players, behind only Konsa (73.1%) and Ake (72.7%).
He is working with Jonny Evans and the coaching staff to refine his game plan. Before the preseason began, Haven spent time with Evans, learning from the former Premier League champion centre-back. During preseason, they have been doing extra one-on-one training sessions after regular training, with 20-year-old Joro also participating. These two young players complement 28-year-old Martinez and 33-year-old Maguire, while 27-year-old De Ligt has also returned to training after missing nearly nine months due to a back injury.
Several academy graduates have had opportunities during Manchester United's preseason, with Tyler Fletcher struggling to break into the first-team midfield rotation. Tynan Thompson, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur, also made 45 appearances in Dublin.
Fifteen-year-old Thiago Gabriel participated in the preseason tour for the first time, playing in five of the six matches. His only appearance was as a substitute against Atletico Madrid, replacing Mbeumo in the forward line, for a total of eight minutes. For his age, participating in such a trip and training with first-team stars puts him far ahead of his peers in England, but many might have expected him to get more playing time.
Upon returning to England, Gabriel resumed U21 play and unleashed a powerful long-range strike in a friendly against Sheffield Wednesday, sending the ball into the top corner.
Carrick's most important task right now is to lead the team to a good performance in their first match of the new season, away against Hull City. Hull City have never won in 10 Premier League games against Manchester United, but the last time the two teams met in East Yorkshire, Hull City won 2-1 in the second leg of the 2017 League Cup semi-final.
Carrick hopes history won't repeat itself and that he can continue the momentum he had in May when his team was the best in the Premier League.
