Manchester United will press ahead with a third midfield signing after completing an £85 million double swoop for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, but are not expected to make a splash with their final deal. United had always been planning to sign three midfielders this summer and will continue with that approach after Manuel Ugarte's serious knee injury, with FIFA's compensation scheme meaning they will get around £6.5 million as a result of the issue being picked up at the World Cup.
United's midfield strategy
But United have already walked away from deals for Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes because they were too expensive and Aurelien Tchouameni is set to stay at Real Madrid, and the idea of making a 'marquee' signing isn't something the decision-makers at Old Trafford are fixated on. United do have money to spend after the deals for Santos and Tielemans, but they want to strengthen down the left as well and also want another forward, so there is no guarantee they will spend big on another midfielder.
While they like Alex Scott, Bournemouth's £80 million asking price for the 22-year-old is considered prohibitive and at this stage of the window it seems more likely United will make another midfield signing in the same kind of price range as Santos and Tielemans, rather than splashing the cash.
Tielemans' fitness
Tielemans has now gone on holiday after completing his £35 million move to United and he is expected back at Carrington for pre-season training in early August. United are confident the 29-year-old Belgian will be ready to hit the ground running given his Premier League experience, which is something they've put a lot of weight on during recent transfer decisions.
Tielemans is also expected to be fit to begin training once his holiday is done. He missed Belgium's World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain a week ago after pulling out in the warm-up with a suspected hamstring injury, but that issue isn't serious and it isn't expected to cause him to miss any training time at his new club.
Mainoo plan
Despite not playing a minute of football at the World Cup this summer, Kobbie Mainoo will still get three weeks off before returning for pre-season with United. He could be back for the friendly against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg, or the training camp that follows in Ireland.
Mainoo has been bizarrely snubbed by Thomas Tuchel this summer, and there have been suggestions since Wednesday's shambolic defeat to Argentina that he hadn't convinced the coaching staff at the tournament with his approach. But that is something United have no concerns with and this is likely to be an issue of England not understanding the 21-year-old's personality in the way those who have worked with him for years at Old Trafford do. He is shy, a bit of an introvert and can keep his head down.
The fact that he wasn't celebrating victories as jubilantly as teammates, or that he was leaving the stadiums early and with his headphones in, doesn't mean he wasn't engaged in tournament success. It's worth remembering what Darren Fletcher said about Mainoo back in January, when he was in caretaker charge of the first team, which sums up what the midfielder is about. "Kobbie doesn't give you much, so you wouldn't know if he was in a good place or not so good. He's like that, that's his natural way," he said. Those are sentiments Carrick has since echoed. Two coaches who certainly understand what Mainoo is like and, more importantly, what he can bring.
Rashford's return
Marcus Rashford started the World Cup brightly but lost his place to Anthony Gordon in Mexico and was only seen again as a desperate last throw of the dice deep into injury time against Argentina. He might get a chance in the third-place play-off this weekend, but it's a game nobody wants to play in. Instead, minds are now drifting back to club duty and Rashford will report to Carrington for pre-season in around three weeks.
It's considered very unlikely that a deal will be done for him to leave before then, and peace has broken out for now between the club and Rashford. He will be part of the first-team squad when he returns and will be eligible for selection. Rashford has made it clear that if he is playing in the Premier League, he wants to play for United, and has no real interest in a move elsewhere in England. Tottenham have been linked, but without Champions League football, they aren't an attractive proposition for a player who turns 29 in October. Right now, Rashford looks likely to stay at United and be part of Carrick's squad next season, although there is plenty of time for that to change.
Dispatch from Carrington
A week ago it all felt a little messy for United in this window. Anderson and Fernandes had gone elsewhere and the deal for Ederson was in the process of collapsing. But recruitment has improved under Ineos and those in charge at Old Trafford are pleased not only with the combined £85m deals for Santos and Tielemans, but the fact both were pulled off with little fanfare. United have been linked with numerous midfielders this summer and have looked at plenty, but they managed to keep these deals quiet until the latter stages, which is unusual and certainly helps with business.
Quote of the week
“Decision-making is everything in football. Some take time, others take seconds. But when Manchester United calls... you don't think twice.” Tielemans with the kind of comment United supporters love, as do Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada. You wonder if Fernandes got the message? Make it clear you want to move to Old Trafford, and United will do all they can to make it happen.
What to look out for next week
United have two midfielders through the door now and although the Santos and Tielemans deals progressed quietly, I don’t get the sense the third midfielder is imminent. United have bought themselves time to assess the market. So the question might be, where do they turn next? They need reinforcements down the left and could bring a sharper focus to this area, although much of that depends on Rashford’s future. Don’t be surprised if there is something of a lull in transfer activity after the flurry this week.
