Manchester United could turn to cheaper and lower-profile options for their next two summer signings, as they hunt for a new central midfielder and left-back under Michael Carrick.
The Old Trafford club have already acquired Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £50million and activated Youri Tielemans' £35m release clause at Aston Villa, strengthening the middle of the park. However, at least one more addition in that area is being considered following the departure of Casemiro, whose contract expired and who has since joined Inter Miami on a free transfer.
Casemiro exit and Ugarte injury
Casemiro's exit has been compounded by Manuel Ugarte's serious injury at this summer's World Cup. The Uruguay international was in line to be sold, with any transfer fee generated from his sale set to fund a top-class player in his position, but those plans look to be on hold while he recovers.
It is understood that it would be a surprise at this stage if United signed an elite-level No6, and a potential third midfield addition will be in a similar price range to Santos. That will be a blow to fans hoping to see Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni, who would be considerably more expensive than the Brazilian.
Left-back situation
Left-back is another area of concern, with Luke Shaw having less than a year left on his current deal. Patrick Dorgu has looked more comfortable on the left wing, while Noussair Mazraoui is more of a right-back.
United have a strong interest in Newcastle's Lewis Hall, but a deal now looks difficult following Newcastle's other big-name departures this summer. It is possible that United will sign a lower-profile left-back this summer before revisiting a deal for Hall in 2027, by which time Shaw's contract will have expired.
Carrick's ambitions
Carrick is determined to improve his squad further as he looks to build on last season's third-placed Premier League finish. He won 12 out of his 17 games in charge last season, although Saturday's 4-2 defeat to AC Milan, managed by former United boss Ruben Amorim, raised alarm bells.
Carrick said: "We want more, we need more, we keep looking for how we can do that. Money's money, I get that. We feel like we have to be pushing for everything we're involved in, while being realistic of what the recent history's looked like over a period of time. For now, we've got to make the most of it, but we've got to push every boundary we can to be able to win again, basically. That's the challenge."
