Michael Carrick urged Manchester United to sign Morgan Rogers ahead of Chelsea in the summer transfer window, according to reports. Carrick was sacked by United on Thursday morning, while Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be appointed ahead of the team’s next Premier League game away to Liverpool on November 22.
Carrick’s transfer recommendations ignored
After Sunday’s 4-4 draw at home to Aston Villa, United sit 18th in the Premier League and are already out of the Carabao Cup after they were beaten by Brighton in September. Carrick was forced to contend with several injury headaches during his final weeks in charge as United were without Luke Shaw and a recognised striker with Benjamin Sesko sidelined until next year due to a shin injury.
United opted to focus on strengthening their midfield options in the summer and spent £155 million on signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba. According to The Telegraph, Carrick was ‘far from happy’ with United’s business in the summer transfer window and all four of his recommendations to the club’s hierarchy failed to materialise.
Rogers and other targets
The report claims that Carrick wanted Rogers, who he had already managed at Middlesbrough, and was ‘convinced’ that the 24-year-old wanted to make the move to United. However, United’s hierarchy refused to enter a bidding war with Chelsea, who ended up signing Rogers in a £117m deal from Aston Villa.
Carrick also wanted United to sign Elliot Anderson, who moved to Manchester City for £116m, and had also recommended Mateus Fernandes, who joined Tottenham Hotspur for £85m after United refused to meet West Ham’s valuation. United were also targeting a new left-back and Carrick’s preference was to sign Lewis Hall from Newcastle United but United’s approach in the summer window was quickly rejected.
Pochettino urged to seek guarantees
Meanwhile, Gary Neville has urged Pochettino to seek guarantees over the club’s transfer activity in the next two transfer windows before accepting to take the United job. ‘He needs two defenders in January. So he’s got to insist that he gets two defenders in January,’ Neville said on Stick to Football. ‘He’s got to insist that he gets a minimum budget next summer for the transfer window to be able to turn this around. He’s got to insist that he gets a budget that follows. ‘They have to give it to him, or else he shouldn’t take the job. If you are not going to give them a look without that defence and that midfield, by the way, and that midfield has some money spent on it, he’s got to insist on the way in there’s some form of transfer control, there’s some sort of budget where he can meaningfully change the team.’
