Manchester Evening News: Man United Not Considering Free-Agent Market, Left-Back Remains Long-Term Target

According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United are not currently considering the free-agent market, with a left-back remaining their long-term target.

The transfer window has closed, and Manchester United failed to bring in a left-back in the final hours of deadline day, which was somewhat disappointing.

The club also stopped Joshua Zirkzee's loan move to Everton, meaning United completed no signings on deadline day for the first time since 2019.

On the pitch, Manchester United at least showed improvement compared with the opening round, beating Ipswich Town 5-2, with Bruno Fernandes again the main figure.

Even though the transfer window has closed, Manchester United will continue their weekly Q&A sessions. Fans can leave questions, and United reporter Tyrone Marshall will respond.

Here are answers to some of the latest questions:

Why not sign a free agent? Ramos, Carvajal and Alaba would all be better suited for Champions League football than the current options.

From what I understand, Manchester United are not looking at the free-agent market. Many players available on free transfers are no longer at their peak, and Ramos and Carvajal clearly fall into that category. Others were released because of declining form, such as Alaba.

Ultimately, there are reasons why these players are free agents, although they have all earned very high wages in the past. They do not fit the recruitment model INEOS is implementing at Old Trafford.

The only situation that could change this would be if Luke Shaw suffered a serious injury and United suddenly had no left-back options, but even then it would not guarantee that they would sign someone.

Why did Manchester United not sign Osimhen?

Because his transfer fee would be close to £100 million, and his income in Turkey is very high. The lower tax rates there mean the player's take-home earnings are substantial.

Osimhen has performed well at Galatasaray, but the fact that he is still there says a lot in itself. Other European clubs do not appear to have shown much interest in him. His performances in that league are difficult to assess, and the financial cost involved would also be high for other European giants.

If Manchester United sign a striker this summer, it would likely be a much lower-profile addition, with a price far below Osimhen's.

In January 2027, will Manchester United sign a defender and a backup centre-forward?

That completely depends on how the season develops by then. I think if Shaw remains fit and others can fill in during some matches, left-back may not be the priority. The club may still look at the loan market, but in the long term United's real priority is signing a left-back, which will likely have to wait until next summer.

Zirkzee's future could also be discussed again in January, but United have Sesko, Cunha, Mbeumo and Rashford who can all play centrally, so they may not necessarily need another striker replacement.

If Baleba returns to fitness, can Mainoo still get enough playing time?

I think last weekend already provided the answer. Carrick now has very good options in midfield, and if Mount can stay fit for several consecutive weeks, he will have five good players available.

There are also many matches coming up. Starting this week, Manchester United will have many periods with three games in a week, so rotation will be crucial.

But I expect Baleba and Mainoo to become the midfield partnership for the most important matches and gradually become United's first-choice midfield pairing.

What targets do the coaches believe we can achieve this season?

That is a good question. Carrick is always optimistic when speaking to the media, and the atmosphere behind the scenes is also positive about Manchester United. He firmly believes United should challenge near the top of the Premier League table.

But you can sense that he still wanted more during the transfer window, and he must also recognise that consistently competing for the title or making a deep run in European competition is now more difficult than it should have been.

Carrick is indeed very satisfied with the three midfielders signed and believes his squad depth is stronger than last season, but to get closer to the ultimate goals, he will also need some luck with injuries.