Manchester United have spent £155million on three new midfielders this summer and are confident the investment will prove prudent, even as Premier League rivals splash nine figures on individual central midfielders.
After rebuilding their attack last year, this summer has been the year of the midfield at Old Trafford. The departures of Casemiro at the end of last season and a knee injury expected to keep Manuel Ugarte out for most of the season made three new arrivals in midfield likely, and Carlos Baleba's £70million move from Brighton this week completed the set.
Three New Arrivals
Baleba, 22, follows 29-year-old Youri Tielemans (£35million) and 22-year-old Andrey Santos (£50million) through the door. Those fees look prudent compared to the £116million paid for Elliot Anderson, the £100million for Sandro Tonali and £85million on Mateus Fernandes by other clubs.
It was a similar approach last summer, when United spent £215million on three new attackers, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all enjoying successful first seasons at the club.
Carrick Delighted With Options
Manager Michael Carrick is now tasked with getting a tune out of his new arrivals, who will compete with Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount for minutes. He is delighted with the options available to him.
"I think we've got a really good balance," he said. "We've certainly got youth in there, and when I say youth, that comes with a lot of experience, and not youth where it's really young, but 22, 21. It's a really good age with the level that we've got at the moment, with experience, with Youri, with Mason, to balance that off."
"I think offering different things, and obviously, it's picking the right balance, the right combinations at certain times. It's a long season, getting through these first weeks where it's one game, to then getting into the busier schedules, I think it's a really strong midfield, and a really strong unit, so I'm really happy with that."
Mount's Injury Setbacks
Mount looked set to be a key part of that midfield in pre-season, forming a good partnership with Santos and impressing in the early weeks of the summer. But his momentum stalled with another injury setback against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg, and he has missed the last three weeks with a minor injury.
He is set to return to the squad against Ipswich, and Carrick is confident the 27-year-old still has a big role to play at Old Trafford.
"One hundred per cent Mason can have a big impact, no doubt," he said. "I think he's a top player, and he's started pre-season and gone through pre-season particularly well. He hasn't missed an awful lot of time, so he'll get up to speed pretty quickly."
Mount has now had 11 separate injuries since joining United from Chelsea in a £55million deal in 2023, missing 71 matches as a result of fitness issues, but Carrick said he had the character to shake off these setbacks.
"He's very level-headed. I think he's a really top character, in personality, and does a lot of the right things with the right intentions, you know," he said. "He's the type where you can really have a good relationship and an understanding with, and he was disappointed to pick up this small knock that he did, but it won't knock him for what's coming next in the season ahead. We're really positive about that."
