Michael Carrick will be hoping he can continue to get a tune out of his Manchester United players as the new Premier League season approaches. But the club have made fans wait for transfer confirmations this summer.
After guiding his team to Champions League qualification, now-permanent United boss Carrick is expected to be joined by some new faces in the very near future. Karl Darlow will soon sign as a back-up shot-stopper, and Andrey Santos' transfer from Chelsea will be confirmed in due course.
However, a deal for Atalanta star Ederson, who was expected to arrive for a fee of £35million, is now up in the air, with contradictory reports claiming the transfer is off.
Midfield Dilemma and Carrick's Plan
United's midfield remains a problem area since Casemiro's departure, but Carrick reportedly has a plan to utilise one of his current crop. With Ederson's arrival now a question of if, not when, and Andrey Santos not entirely plugging the midfield gap, Carrick faces a midfield dilemma as things stand.
According to The Sun, he may turn to Mason Mount, who reported for pre-season last week, and attempt to have him operate in a much deeper role than he is used to. Mount arrived at Old Trafford in 2023 from Chelsea for an initial £55m but has failed to live up to that price tag as a forward-thinking playmaker. Carrick is now supposedly considering dropping him back.
The report claims that Mount's promising outings at the end of last season mean he is firmly in the first-team picture and that Carrick values his work rate and midfield versatility.
Contact Made with £38m Star
If the Ederson deal falls through, United could turn to Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes. The 25-year-old Brazilian has also been linked with a move to Liverpool. Gomes shone for a lowly Wolves side that were relegated last season and was set to join Atletico Madrid for £38m. But this deal collapsed and Brazilian outlet O Globo reports that United have made contact regarding a potential transfer.
The report states that Gomes' deal was all but sealed, but his agent Jorge Mendes prioritised brokering Bernardo Silva's move to Real Madrid. This supposedly angered Atletico, who felt their bitter rivals had taken precedence, so they called off the deal. Gomes was voted as Wolves' Player of the Season by fans and his fellow team-mates last season, as his team were relegated from the Premier League.
