Manchester United’s midfield is better than it has been for years, but there are still concerns over the lack of athleticism after Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans’ arrivals.
Coming into the summer, Manchester United needed a lot of work in the midfield, and so far, Michael Carrick has brought two impressive players through the door.
United signed Andrey Santos from Chelsea for a fee of £48m, a dynamic ball winner and progressive passer who is expected to become Brazil’s next great midfielder. Following this, Youri Tielemans has joined United for £35m after a stellar season at Aston Villa.
Alongside Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount, United now boasts a very impressive midfield department, which is going to be bolstered further by a third addition. United have been heavily linked with Manu Kone, who wouldn’t be the athletic midfielder that many think the team needs.
But it could be that Carrick doesn’t want a midfield reliant on athleticism or size, which is fine, but would require a change from the United boss.
WHO will be Man Utd’s THIRD midfielder signing to go with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans? Who do you want?
Which midfielder do you think would fit United's rebuild best? What do we need next?
Manchester United needs to debut a new centre-back partnership to aid the midfield
As good as United’s midfield options are, the one glaring weakness is that there isn’t that fast, tall, and athletic option, but this could be by design.
If Carrick is going to try to implement his preferred style of play, United’s midfielders will hopefully have so much of the ball that they aren’t required to do too much running. Tielemans, Santos, and Mainoo are all in this ilk, and so would Kone.
United would be a brilliant and dominant side with this style, but Carrick couldn’t have such a midfield, while also starting immobile Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire at centre-back, as it would be a recipe for disaster.
However, Carrick’s midfield plans could work quite well if he decides to turn toward the future and use Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven as a pairing. This is because the two young centre-backs are incredibly athletic, quick, and able to make up for the ground not being covered by the midfield.
Yoro and Heaven are expected to be world-class, and having both start together would allow United to play a high line, which in turn leaves fewer gaps that the midfield needs to cover.
Carrick hasn’t ever played the duo together, but he should begin looking toward the future this summer with Yoro and Heaven, as he can’t continue using Maguire and Martinez forever, especially if the centre-backs are required to be mobile and athletic.
The legs of Yoro and Heaven could be vital in Carrick’s plan working.
Maguire, in particular, is a favourite of Carrick’s, but he may need to be put into a back-up role this season for the greater good of the way the team plays.
This is how Man United lined up vs Wrexham when the sides last met in 2023
Which of these Man United youngsters had the highest potential?
Carrick might have to start planning beyond both Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez
Last season, when both Maguire and Martinez were available, Carrick started them both, leaving Heaven and Yoro on the bench in desperate need of minutes to help them evolve as players.
But with Maguire and Martinez both potentially in their final years at United with contracts expiring in 2027, they shouldn’t be as heavily relied upon during the 2026/27 campaign.
Martinez has been linked with Atletico Madrid this summer, and a transfer could very feasibly go through, with his injury record and defensive weakness meaning he isn’t the player United can rely on anymore.
Meanwhile, Maguire has had plenty of injury issues in recent seasons, while at his age, United shouldn’t be expecting him to play twice a week.
Carrick must plan for the long-term. Heaven and Yoro have both shown at various points that they are ready to contribute more regularly; they just need to be trusted to do so by the manager.
It would bring Carrick’s vision of the game into life, while also seeing the two youngsters develop quicker than they would on the bench. Hopefully, we get to see them in pre-season starting together.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
