Harry Maguire has made it plain that Manchester United's summer work is not finished. After the club added Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Karl Darlow and Tynan Thompson, the centre-back said: "Hopefully more are coming through the door. As a player I want a big competitive squad. One that we can go and challenge for the big trophies so the more the merrier."

Maguire's message on squad depth

The line that matters most is the one about numbers, not names. Maguire is not just praising what United have done already, he is pointing to the need for more depth in a squad that finished third in the Premier League with 71 points and ended the season with a run of WWDWW.

That is a decent base, and it is why the recruitment can be read as a push rather than a rebuild. But Maguire's point is simple enough: if United want to turn that into a real title-level challenge, they still want more bodies through the door.

What the new arrivals tell us

Maguire was also positive about the players already in. On Tielemans, he said: "I played with Tielemans for a few months and he's going to be an incredible signing, I have no doubt about that. He's Belgium's captain and played most games for Aston Villa last season. He was a big player there."

He was just as upbeat on Santos: "Andrey Santos played yesterday [in the pre-season friendly against Wrexham]. He really impressed us in the first week and I think we've signed two great players there."

Tielemans' numbers help explain the confidence around him. He has a 7.44 rating across 5 appearances, and his last five outings average 7.28. That is the kind of form United are clearly banking on, while Santos has already made enough of an impression to be named alongside him in the same breath.

There is still a cautionary note around the wider market. United had been linked with Crysencio Summerville, but he is set to complete a £60m transfer to Al-Hilal. Rafael Leao has also been mentioned, although United are believed not to have submitted a bid and are not pursuing wide forwards while Marcus Rashford remains on their books.

Maguire's comments point in one direction, though. United have spent, they have added quality, and they still want more. The next thing to watch is whether another signing follows before the window closes.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →