"I certainly feel we can compete," M. Carrick said, as Manchester United framed a summer of tighter spending as a rebuild rather than a retreat. United finished with a net spend of £118m and were the 10th biggest spenders in the Premier League this summer, but Carrick is leaning on the idea that balance and the level of the squad matter more than the size of the cheque book.

United's case for optimism

Carrick's argument is not built on sentiment. "Transfer windows are never straightforward and this window in particular has been challenging for different reasons," he told skysports.com. "There's a lot of money being spent in and around the league itself, and I think we've made the most of the situation that we've found ourselves in."

He was even firmer when speaking to the Manchester Evening News: "Money's one thing, what you do with it is another thing, how you make the most of it is another thing. It's about what happens on the pitch at the end of the day."

There is a decent football case behind that stance. No Premier League side has taken more points than United in Carrick's 19 games in charge, and their 2025 numbers were strong enough to back the point up: third place, 71 points, 20 wins and a +19 goal difference.

The spending gap around the league

The scale of the comparison is still awkward for United. Manchester City spent £472million, Chelsea £351million and Tottenham £334million, all well above United's outlay. One source also said United were outspent by promoted Ipswich and Hull, while another described the gap as a battle with Coventry and Ipswich. The exact comparison varies, but the larger point does not: United were nowhere near the top of the spend chart.

Carrick has not tried to hide from that. He has instead talked about quality and freshness, saying he thinks United have done "some really good business" and that there is "a freshness around the group" and "a hunger" to achieve something.

The test now is straightforward enough. United have made their summer case, and Carrick has already argued that the work has been done with less cash than some of their rivals. The first real proof will come in the league, where the 19-game run under him has already produced more points than any other Premier League side over the same span.

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