“You've got to evolve, you've got to find ways of moving forward, you've got to find ways of winning, essentially.” That was M. Carrick's message as Manchester United keep working on a midfield that is still not settled. United have brought in Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa this summer, and they have also posted a £60m bid with Brighton for Carlos Baleba.

Carrick's midfield plan

Carrick has said the squad has to “evolve” and “improve” as the window goes on, which fits the way United are treating midfield as a work in progress rather than a finished unit. He also said, “We’re working towards that,” when asked about a third addition.

The club's stance on value has been just as clear. “We’re delighted with the two that we’ve brought in and for the money,” Carrick said, while also stressing that a solid foundation through the middle of the team is part of what top sides need.

United's recent league form gives that a little more room to breathe. They have taken 10 points from their last five Premier League matches, and after finishing third with 71 points in 2025, the rebuild is about keeping standards high rather than patching up a broken side.

Mainoo and Tielemans in the mix

Lee Sharpe has gone one step further and named the pairing he would start with. “So, I’d put Kobbie and Tielemans in the midfield partnership,” he said, before warning that high intensity could mean they do not complete too many full games together, especially with Baleba, Santos and Mount in the mix.

Sharpe also liked the way Kobbie Mainoo plays forward. “I really like how Kobbie Mainoo’s first thought is always to go forward, and he rarely gives the ball away.” Mainoo's recent rating average of 7.24 across his last five Premier League appearances backs that up, while Baleba has averaged 7.06 across his last five league games for Brighton.

That leaves United with a fairly clear early shape, but not a locked one. Mainoo and Tielemans look the best fit on current form and balance, while Baleba remains the bigger swing move if the club push the deal through before the window closes.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →