Sports
5 Man Utd Mistakes Made This Transfer Window That Will Cost Them
Manchester United were backed to be the busiest Premier League club this summer, but with just four days until their opener against Hull City, they have been the quietest.
David Ornstein was among the high-profile transfer experts who predicted United would be the most active in this transfer window. His analysis made perfect sense given Casemiro‘s exit, Michael Carrick’s appointment, and a return to the UEFA Champions League.
INEOS had made a promising start to one of the most important windows in the club’s history. Here was the chance to return to the title picture following Pep Guardiola’s departure, with the playing field even among the challengers looking to rival defending champions Arsenal.
Carrick has been let down by a poor summer of business, with just two new players, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, arriving. As such, there are five reasons why the club’s hesitation to spend will come back to haunt them.
Not Moving For Lewis Hall Early
A new left-back seemed an obvious priority for United despite Luke Shaw’s availability last season. While the Englishman played every single Premier League game, at 31 he isn’t getting any younger and needs better competition.
Lewis Hall was on most fans’ lips even before the window opened, but it took INEOS until early August to officially make their interest in the Newcastle United star known. They decided to explore a deal for the former Chelsea star at a time when the St James’ Park outfit had raised huge funds from the sales of Sandro Tonali (£100m), Bruno Guimaraes (£75m) and Anthony Gordon (£69.3m).
Why United thought it wise to wait so long to pursue Hall is difficult to understand, and they were quickly informed that the Magpies have no intention to sell. That might not have been the case had they swooped before Guimaraes moved to Arsenal and Tonali headed to Tottenham Hotspur.
No New Sesko Backup
Another position screaming out for new blood is up front, where Benjamin Sesko doesn’t have a reliable supporting act. Serie A-linked Joshua Zirkzee has endured a disastrous run of form since joining United, and he has failed to impress in the Slovenian’s absence.
With many veteran forwards available throughout the summer, the fact that INEOS haven’t made a concrete move for a new number nine is puzzling. They might view Marcus Rashford as an option given he looks set to stay, but he blows hot and cold, and his preferred position is on the left wing.
Even moving for someone like Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson would make sense, albeit at a high price. But given the club have rarely spent this summer, why not pounce for the Senegalese star whose days at Stamford Bridge look numbered?
No £100M Signing
Manchester United are now the only club in the big six not to have spent £100m on a single player. As admirable as that is, it will ultimately leave them chasing their rivals for top talent if they don’t decide to flex their muscles and battle for the very best players in the world.
That’s not to say that the likes of Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers are worth over £100m, but that’s where the market is in today’s game. A player of Aurelien Tchouameni’s qualities, liked by the club and an obvious Casemiro replacement, made all sense to break the club’s transfer budget to bring to Old Trafford.
There’s not only been a reluctance to reach the £100m milestone, but also to pay the asking price for players they deem overpriced. It has been a criticism of the club in the past, but caution in a window meant to hand Carrick a squad to compete with is a real concern.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Continuing to Sell Poorly
While Chelsea receives astronomical fees for players who haven’t even touched the pitch for them, United struggles to offload first-team players for decent fees. Somehow, Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir are still contracted to the club as the goalkeeping flops have been sent out on loan rather than sold.
INEOS have been eager to get Rashford off their wage bill but Barcelona refused to meet their £26m asking price. That does feel like more than a reasonable fee, but suitors are evidently taking his huge salary into consideration.
United looked to move Manuel Ugarte on before the Uruguayan suffered an injury at the World Cup. Even then, they were asking for just over £20m for a player they signed for £50m two summers ago.
Not Going All in For Tchouameni
Arsenal signed Guimaraes, Tottenham signed Tonali, City signed Anderson, and before that Chelsea paid big for Moises Caicedo and likewise Liverpool for Dominik Szoboszlai. This United team is crying out for a world-class holding midfielder who can anchor the team for years to come.
Tchouameni fit the bill with his powerful profile and ability to get forward and help his team in transition. There’s a reason Real Madrid signed the Frenchman as Casemiro’s replacement back in the summer of 2022.
A potential deal for the 26-year-old felt like a real possibility once United conceded defeat to City in the race for Anderson. But INEOS haven’t made concrete efforts to bring him to Old Trafford, which is frustrating given that their rivals have all landed elite midfielders over the years
Manchester City held fresh internal talks on Tuesday over a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, despite the deadline passing that the Blues set last week.
Chelsea told clubs they had until 5pm last Friday to make a £120m bid to prise the Argentina international away from Stamford Bridge, with Man City one of the interested clubs in the 25-year-old.
No offer arrived for the South American, and the west London outfit may have assumed that was the end of the situation at that stage.
However, City’s need for new midfielders is increasing after Rodri joined Bernardo Silva in completing a move to LaLiga with Barcelona on Tuesday, while Tijjani Reijnders is on the verge of completing his switch to Saudi club Al-Qadsiah.
Now, David Ornstein has reported that Newcastle are exploring a move for Nico Gonzalez too, with Fabrizio Romano saying that City are open to the Spaniard’s exit despite only signing him just over 18 months ago in a deal worth £50m.
While City are closing in on a deal to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, there is still a gap in their central midfield, especially if Gonzalez joins the other three in departing.
Despite last week’s deadline set by Chelsea passing, Romano says that City aren’t giving up on Fernandez and that they actually held new talks over a move for him today.
Speaking on his latest YouTube video on Tuesday night, the Italian journalist said:
Enzo Fernandez is still being discussed internally at Manchester City. Even today, from what I’m hearing at the club, there were conversations about the Enzo Fernandez situation.
“On player side, Javier Pastore, the agent of the player, had conversations on daily basis these days, even after the deadline set by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez. I would not be surprised if Manchester City arrive again and try to open negotiations for Enzo Fernandez.
“I would not be surprised because the understanding is that this Enzo situation, yes, on Friday changed the dynamics because Chelsea can now decide whatever they want. Chelsea will be more than happy to keep Fernandez at the club.
“Chelsea are not desperate with this situation, but at the same time, Chelsea are in control. Chelsea decide about the transfer fee. This verbal exit close is no longer valid, so we have to see how the conversations will continue.”
City Need Enzo Fernandez More Than Ever
Enzo Fernandez might not be the most popular player in the Premier League after his behaviour at the 2026 World Cup and how he helped knock England out of the tournament, but there is no doubting the qualities that he brings.
And City need those qualities in their midfield more than ever. Make no mistake, losing Rodri and Bernardo Silva in the same summer is a huge blow for a club who aspires to win the Premier League and Champions League every season.
Right now, City’s central midfield options are new boy Elliot Anderson, Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic, while Nico O’Reilly can play there too.
As mentioned, Gonzalez could be on his way if Newcastle can agree a deal with the Spaniard, which would leave Enzo Maresca seriously lacking depth in that position.
Although they are set to spend more than £200m on Anderson and Bouaddi, it will take another £100m+ deal to bring Fernandez to the Etihad.
It is no secret that Maresca is a big fan of the Argentine though, having worked with him during his time as Chelsea boss.
In 2025, he said:
He behaved as a leader and he is doing top, fantastic. For sure Enzo has taken a step forward in that sense. He is showing how good a leader he is, how good he is on the ball, how good he is off the ball and we are delighted with him.
Manchester City have held fresh talks on Tuesday over signing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, despite the deadline that the Blues set last week expiring.
Chelsea set a deadline of 5pm last Friday for clubs to make a £120m bid to prise the Argentina international away from Stamford Bridge, with Man City one of the interested clubs in the 25-year-old.
No offer arrived for the South American, and the west London outfit may have assumed that was the end of the situation at that stage.
However, City’s need for new midfielders is increasing after Rodri joined Bernardo Silva in completing a move to LaLiga with Barcelona on Tuesday, while Tijjani Reijnders is on the verge of completing his switch to Saudi club Al-Qadsiah.
Now, David Ornstein has reported that Newcastle are exploring a move for Nico Gonzalez too, with Fabrizio Romano saying that City are open to the Spaniard’s exit despite only signing him just over 18 months ago in a deal worth £50m.
While City are closing in on a deal to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, there is still a gap in their central midfield, especially if Gonzalez joins the other three in departing.
Despite last week’s deadline set by Chelsea passing, Romano says that City aren’t giving up on Fernandez and that they actually held new talks over a move for him today.
Speaking on his latest YouTube video on Tuesday night, the Italian journalist said:
Enzo Fernandez is still being discussed internally at Manchester City. Even today, from what I’m hearing at the club, there were conversations about the Enzo Fernandez situation.
“On player side, Javier Pastore, the agent of the player, had conversations on daily basis these days, even after the deadline set by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez. I would not be surprised if Manchester City arrive again and try to open negotiations for Enzo Fernandez.
“I would not be surprised because the understanding is that this Enzo situation, yes, on Friday changed the dynamics because Chelsea can now decide whatever they want. Chelsea will be more than happy to keep Fernandez at the club.
“Chelsea are not desperate with this situation, but at the same time, Chelsea are in control. Chelsea decide about the transfer fee. This verbal exit close is no longer valid, so we have to see how the conversations will continue.”
City Need Enzo Fernandez More Than Ever
Enzo Fernandez might not be the most popular player in the Premier League after his behaviour at the 2026 World Cup and how he helped knock England out of the tournament, but there is no doubting the qualities that he brings.
And City need those qualities in their midfield more than ever. Make no mistake, losing Rodri and Bernardo Silva in the same summer is a huge blow for a club who aspires to win the Premier League and Champions League every season.
Right now, City’s central midfield options are new boy Elliot Anderson, Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic, while Nico O’Reilly can play there too.
As mentioned,
Manchester City have held fresh talks on Tuesday over signing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, despite the deadline that the Blues set last week expiring.
Chelsea set a deadline of 5pm last Friday for clubs to make a £120m bid to prise the Argentina international away from Stamford Bridge, with Man City one of the interested clubs in the 25-year-old.
No offer arrived for the South American, and the west London outfit may have assumed that was the end of the situation at that stage.
However, City’s need for new midfielders is increasing after Rodri joined Bernardo Silva in completing a move to LaLiga with Barcelona on Tuesday, while Tijjani Reijnders is on the verge of completing his switch to Saudi club Al-Qadsiah.
Now, David Ornstein has reported that Newcastle are exploring a move for Nico Gonzalez too, with Fabrizio Romano saying that City are open to the Spaniard’s exit despite only signing him just over 18 months ago in a deal worth £50m.
While City are closing in on a deal to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, there is still a gap in their central midfield, especially if Gonzalez joins the other three in departing.
Despite last week’s deadline set by Chelsea passing, Romano says that City aren’t giving up on Fernandez and that they actually held new talks over a move for him today.
Speaking on his latest YouTube video on Tuesday night, the Italian journalist said:
Enzo Fernandez is still being discussed internally at Manchester City. Even today, from what I’m hearing at the club, there were conversations about the Enzo Fernandez situation.
“On player side, Javier Pastore, the agent of the player, had conversations on daily basis these days, even after the deadline set by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez. I would not be surprised if Manchester City arrive again and try to open negotiations for Enzo Fernandez.
“I would not be surprised because the understanding is that this Enzo situation, yes, on Friday changed the dynamics because Chelsea can now decide whatever they want. Chelsea will be more than happy to keep Fernandez at the club.
“Chelsea are not desperate with this situation, but at the same time, Chelsea are in control. Chelsea decide about the transfer fee. This verbal exit close is no longer valid, so we have to see how the conversations will continue.”
City Need Enzo Fernandez More Than Ever
Enzo Fernandez might not be the most popular player in the Premier League after his behaviour at the 2026 World Cup and how he helped knock England out of the tournament, but there is no doubting the qualities that he brings.
And City need those qualities in their midfield more than ever. Make no mistake, losing Rodri and Bernardo Silva in the same summer is a huge blow for a club who aspires to win the Premier League and Champions League every season.
Right now, City’s central midfield options are new boy Elliot Anderson, Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic, while Nico O’Reilly can play there too.
As mentioned,
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Fabrizio Romano Reveals New Man City Talks for Enzo Fernandez Deal
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