Manchester United have under two weeks to complete their business in the summer transfer window. Michael Carrick has spent £85million so far, signing Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos to provide a serious upgrade in midfield. Karl Darlow also joined on a free transfer to act as back-up to Senne Lammens. Rasmus Hojlund, Casemiro, Radek Vitek and Tyler Fredericson have all departed Old Trafford for good. Altay Bayindir has also left and will spend the season on loan at Celta Vigo. United fans will hope that Carrick has bigger plans to invest into the current squad. Here, Manchester Evening News has detailed the four key areas United must sort out before the transfer window shuts on September 1.
Strengthen Key Positions
United still need to address some key positions in the team that need strengthening. These include the midfield and full-back areas. Luke Shaw is the most senior player at left-back, which could spell trouble with a congested fixture list ahead. Newcastle's Lewis Hall stood out as the primary target but a deal for the Newcastle star now appears increasingly unlikely. Other options on the market include Myles Lewis-Skelly, Antonee Robinson and Joaquin Seys. Club Brugge are looking for a fee of around £30m for Seys, making him an affordable choice as back-up to Shaw.
Tielemans and Santos were signed to boost the midfield but it is likely that United require at least one more player in that position before the window's end. The club are keeping close tabs on Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton with Carrick identifying the 22-year-old as a key target for his squad. Wharton is valued at around £85m by Palace and is a highly-regarded player in the Premier League. Should United secure Seys and Wharton, then that would go a long way to putting them in an even stronger position for the season ahead.
Make a Decision on Marcus Rashford
One major decision to be made concerns Rashford's future. The experienced forward spent last season on loan to Barcelona after falling out of favour under ex-manager Ruben Amorim. The England international has returned to Old Trafford for pre-season but questions still remain around where he will play this campaign. Rashford was keen to return to Spain but Barca didn't activate his release clause due to his wage demands.
For the moment, at least, it appears he will start the new Premier League season at Old Trafford. But there's no guarantee that will still be the case come the end of the transfer window. If Rashford stays, then Carrick can plan his forward line with him in mind. If he goes, then the club may choose to sign another player to replace him in the squad. Whatever happens, a decision must be made sooner rather than later.
Sign a Back-up Striker
Joshua Zirkzee has been touted with a move to Juventus for most of the summer. This would leave Benjamin Sesko without an out-and-out back-up striker for the upcoming season. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have both played in the central role but Carrick would likely appreciate another No. 9 to work with. Bamba Dieng could be an option for United after having the best goalscoring season of his career with Lorient. The 26-year-old scored 15 times last season and has attracted interest from some Championship sides. However, Carrick may choose to bring the Senegal international to Old Trafford to provide competition for Sesko.
Allow Fringe Players to Leave
United are planning to offload some players either on loan or permanently this summer. Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho both departed at the end of their contracts, with 21-year-old Tyler Fredericson joining Lausanne-Sport and Bayindir heading to Celta Vigo on loan. Harry Amass is attracting attention from the likes of West Ham and Norwich City, and Zirkzee is potentially heading to Italy. Academy stars Toby Collyer, Dan Gore and Chido Obi are all expected to explore loan moves alongside Jacob Devaney, who shone at St Mirren last year.
