Ineos made one transfer mistake this summer which could haunt Man United this season

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It was a strong first summer window under Ineos but Manchester United’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool highlighted one major mistake.

The Red Devils have welcomed five new signings this summer as well as holding a major clearout of Erik ten Hag’s squad.

There has been a clear transfer strategy from United’s new-look recruitment team, with the club targeting young and exciting players without overpaying for big-name stars.

Several out-of-favour players were also offloaded with United completing deadline day deals for Scott McTominay to Napoli and Jadon Sancho on loan to Chelsea.

New arrivals Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee all started in United’s defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, but the trio were unable to make a difference as Arne Slot’s side put on a dominant display.

The biggest issue isn’t the business United have completed, it’s more to do with the deals they didn’t.

One issue stained an otherwise perfect Man United window

Solving United’s midfield problems and the lack of balance was a top priority for Ineos this summer, and the £42m arrival of Manuel Ugarte was their answer.

But the deal for the Uruguayan was not completed in time for the weekend, and as a result, Ugarte was forced to watch from the stands as United lost to Liverpool.

Casemiro was woeful against Liverpool, which only made Ugarte’s delayed arrival more frustrating. The Brazilian was hooked by Ten Hag at half-time with academy graduate Toby Collyer taking his place in midfield.

The lack of depth in midfield is alarming and United may regret not dipping into the market for another central midfielder after selling McTominay. It’s a decision that could haunt United’s season.

Casemiro’s decline was obvious last season and even during pre-season, there were worrying signs.

Casemiro was the worst player in pre-season in the USA against Liverpool, and the same continued in the Premier League against the same opponents.

Man United had opportunities to add to midfield depth

Manuel Ugarte was always United’s first-choice midfield signing and Ineos delivered and brought the 23-year-old to Old Trafford.

But losing McTominay means that United are still short of options, yet they decided not to pursue any other midfield targets this summer.

READ MORE: Five things learned from Man United’s 3-0 defeat against Liverpool

United decided against returning for Sofyan Amrabat and overlooked Adrien Rabiot as a free agent.

Amrabat was excellent in the FA Cup final, and would have been worth bringing on board for extra depth. Or perhaps another midfielder with Premier League experience.

Christian Eriksen is an afterthought, who Erik ten Hag doesn’t trust. The club just need more options.

Ugarte could be great – but he can’t be expected to solve the issues all on his own. And after the Copa America, he was never going to be ready to start the season.

United needed an energetic midfielder who was ready from day one. That’s one issue where Ineos had a blind spot this summer.