Man United’s summer transfer window ended with a whimper but there are still options to provide a short-term fix for Michael Carrick

We are five games into the Premier League season and already, Manchester United are seeing the consequences of their transfer window coming back to bite them. The focus this summer was on rebuilding the midfield. Casemiro left on a free transfer leaving United with Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte to play in the centre.

Even before his serious injury, Ugarte was not seen as part of the Old Trafford plans, so serious investment was needed. To their credit, United managed to bolster their midfield. Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba all arrived to provide Michael Carrick with options.

However, that is where the investment ended. A left-back was the next priority, but despite a last-minute attempt to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri, that position remains unstrengthened. Also lost in the midfield focus was the centre-forward role. United were looking to offload Joshua Zirkzee, but with time running out to sign a replacement, the Dutchman remains.

While Luke Shaw’s recent absence has been a problem, he at least is back and starting matches. On the other hand, Benjamin Sesko missed the entirety of pre-season with a shin injury sustained in May. Since then, he has yet to complete 90 minutes and has pulled out of international duty with Slovenia as he focuses on recovery.

In the meantime, United have been putting square pegs in round holes. Amad’s injury has meant Bryan Mbeumo is not leading the line, so Matheus Cunha has filled in at centre-forward. That has not worked.

With Zirkzee not trusted, Mbeumo needed on the right and Cunha struggling up top, United clearly need reinforcements – whether that’s in January or, potentially, before. So with this in mind, MEN Sport has taken a look at three free agents that United could sign right now, to strengthen their attack.

Karim Benzema

Of course, Benzema is not the player he once was – United would not be signing a Ballon d’Or candidate. But the French striker could still add quality to this team.

Benzema left Al Hilal at the end of August. Last season, he scored nine goals in 10 appearances for the Saudi Pro League club. He scored in one of his two appearances this year too, before having his deal with the club terminated, after they replaced him with Ollie Watkins.

There is an issue for United if they wished to sign Benzema, beyond his age. The 38-year-old is contracted to the Saudi Pro League until 2030 in what is described as an ‘ambassadorial role’. In this role, the Saudi league holds Benzema’s image rights.

According to L’Equipe, Lyon were hoping to bring Benzema in and the forward was willing to forego his salary to play for them again. However, as he is keen to honour his ambassador role, negotiations to reach an agreement on his image rights, did not begin.

This is a major sticking point for United, but the lure of the Premier League could make Benzema change his mind.

Mauro Icardi

Bizarrely, Icardi has not been picked up yet. The 33-year-old forward scored 14 goals for Galatasaray last season, but left the club at the end of his contract.

Icardi’s agent has ruled out a move to Argentina and the suggestion is that he wants to keep playing in Europe. This week Tottenham, who are in a tougher position than United, were linked with the forward. However, reports have suggested that he is not on their radar.

This deal makes more sense than the Benzema approach. Icardi is at a better age, has done well in Europe recently and clearly still fancies a shot at a top club.

The problem for United would be that he has missed pre-season. But if the Reds were to move quickly, they could put him through his paces during this three-week international break and get him up to speed for the return of the Premier League in October.

Joselu

The former Stoke City and Newcastle man has come a long way since his first stint in the Premier League. Joselu did well to return to Real Madrid in 2023, after impressing for Espanyol. He scored 17 goals in the 2023/24 season before joining Qatari side Al-Gharafa, the following year.

He left the Middle Eastern club in the summer and has since been linked with a return to the Bundesliga. Unlike Icardi, the 36-year-old has a greater physical presence, and is more suited to leading the line when Sesko is absent.

Like all of these selections, Joselu is not the striker United fans would have dreamt of signing in the summer. However, their options are limited.

The Reds need a recognised centre-forward who can provide competition and cover, to Sesko. They can’t continue with this strikerless system because it is just not working.

Matheus Cunha produced the goal that saved Manchester United from three straight defeats, but the problems for the Reds’ forward are glaringly obvious

Matheus Cunha won’t have been expecting a hero’s reception after scoring Manchester United’s all-important equaliser against Fulham. It was another underwhelming result for the Reds, this time against a side in worse form than themselves. Cunha’s equaliser saved United from even more harsh scrutiny.

After failing to carve out enough chances in the defeat to Manchester City last weekend, it seemed United were given the instruction to shoot on sight. The Reds peppered shots towards goal – a whopping 17 in the first half and 12 more in the second. However, those efforts were, by in large, comfortable for Bernd Leno to deal with. According to Opta, United managed just a 1.06 xG in the first half from their 17 shots. On the other hand Fulham, who only had nine shots, managed a superior 1.49 xG.

United’s xG was better than Fulham’s in the second period as the game tightened up, but 0.54 xG is a poor showing. Despite their xG being so low, the Reds’ forwards were getting into the box to force their shots. As shown in purple on the graphic below:

However there was one exception. Cunha managed just three shots in the game for a total xG of 0.05. All of his shots were outside the area, cutting in from the left. But for a fortunate deflection, the Brazilian forward would not have troubled the scorers.

You had to feel for Cunha though. He is not a centre-forward and being forced to lead the line for United is a struggle. You also have to feel sympathy for Michael Carrick too. Had a bit of luck fallen their way, he would have been able to start Benjamin Sesko at Craven Cottage.

Unfortunately for United, Sesko did not travel to London after suffering some pain in his shin. On Monday morning, United assessed the issue and ultimately he withdrew from international duty with Slovenia.

The problem for United is they haven’t been hit by a massive injury crisis which has forced them to play Cunha out of position.

This is a case of one injured player forcing United to put square pegs in round holes. With each passing game that Sesko misses, it begs the question as to why United did not sign a striker.

Joshua Zirkzee is clearly not trusted to lead the line. Bryan Mbeumo did play up front in pre-season, but has instead been picked on the right while Amad is injured – despite Shea Lacey providing some positive performances this season.

Heading into the international break, it is becoming harder and harder to ignore the issues of the transfer window. United did not add enough depth to their squad to ensure they could deal with run of the mill injuries.

Cunha is being forced to play centre-forward in Sesko’s absence but it is clearly not his position. He was most effective on the left last season and was rarely used as the lead striker. But due to one or two injuries, United’s hand has been forced.

Carrick will be hoping Sesko’s injury issue is not too serious and that he will be able to return to the team the other side of the break. If not, it could be another slog ahead for Cunha up top.

Over the past week, several WWE superstars appeared in their home countries and got a hero’s welcome. Stephanie Vaquer won the title in Chile, and Penta appeared in Mexico City to face Roman Reigns for the title. Sami Zayn also became the first Muslim Grand Slam Champion in Saudi Arabia when he won the WWE title a few months ago. In honor of these electrifying crowds, here are several from the 21st century, starting with a tough one.

Post 9/11 SmackDown and Unforgiven

WWE held SmackDown two days after the tragic event, and fans appreciated the whole show as a way to unite after what happened. Lillian Garcia sang a wonderful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Several days later at Unforgiven, Kurt Angle won his first WWE Championship in his home state of Pennsylvania in front of his family to promote patriotism and unity.

ECW: One Night Stand 2006

Rob Van Dam won the Money in the Bank and chose the Hammerstein Ballroom (ECW’s home) to face John Cena for the WWE title. Neither man was prepared for the crowd. Cena entered the ring to thunderous boos, and fans threw his T-shirt back at him three times. Chants of ‘F*** You Cena’ and ‘You Can’t Wrestle’ echoed. RVD won the match, and a crowd of this magnitude has not been seen since.

Money in the Bank Cash-In: Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler’s cash-in was the loudest among all 34. Alberto Del Rio was hurt, and then Ziggler’s music hit. He beat Rio to win the World Heavyweight Championship, but Nic Nemeth admitted it was just a short-term plan. Either way, that crowd reaction was undeniable.

WrestleMania 30: New Orleans

WrestleMania has delivered many special moments, but this show had every emotion. Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock kicked off the show. Cesaro won the inaugural Andre the Giant Battle Royal, and Daniel Bryan won in the main event. Lastly, Brock Lesnar conquered the Undertaker’s streak. Vince McMahon made the decision hours before the show started on WWE Network to have Brock go over.

Monday Night Raw: Post-WrestleMania 33

Roman Reigns was the second WWE superstar to beat the Undertaker at WrestleMania. The night after, Reigns kicked off the show. For seven straight minutes, fans booed the Big Dog mercilessly and chanted profane language. Roman Reigns finally said, ‘This is my yard now’, and left the ring. Mind you, he was supposed to be a face at the time.

Backlash 2023: Puerto Rico

This crowd is one of the loudest in WWE history. They gave three Puerto Rican stars a warm reception. Zelina Vega was emotional, carrying the country’s flag before her match. Carlito got the LOUDEST pop of the night and maybe even of the 21st century. The fans sang Bad Bunny’s song during his entrance, and he won a San Juan Street Fight against Damien Priest.

AEW ALL IN: London 2026

Call it recency bias, but this crowd was like no other. Will Ospreay had the greatest entrance in pro wrestling history. Not to mention the NEW LEVEL’s debut and Britt Baker’s return. This will be the best pro wrestling show of the year.

Royal Rumble Surprise Entrants:

This PLE is many fans’ favorite because of the participation. Every fan stands up and counts down until the buzzer, and waits for the next entrant.

A few of the biggest crowd reactions were John Cena (2008), AJ Styles (2016), Trish Stratus (2018), and Edge (2020). Also, a shoutout to Tye Dillinger (aka Shawn Spears), who entered at #10 in the 2017 Royal Rumble. His gimmick was being the ‘perfect ten’, and fans got exactly what they wanted.

Westlepalooza will be in Perth, Australia, on December 12th. Rhea Ripley is on the sidelines, but an appearance would send the crowd into a frenzy. This PLE is rumored to host the John Cena Classic, where fans will witness the next generation of WWE superstars.

Manchester United enter the international break in a difficult position as Michael Carrick’s job comes into question

Manchester United head into the international break with questions surrounding Michael Carrick’s future after their winless run stretched to three matches. Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham left United without a victory heading into the pause in the Premier League schedule.

The result followed defeats to Manchester City and Brighton, leaving United 12th in the table and having already exited the EFL Cup. A clearer picture of Carrick’s position is expected to emerge before the club returns to competitive action in three weeks’ time.

Away from the managerial situation, United are assessing possible January signings as transfer speculation builds. Today’s latest round-up from MEN Sport covers the key developments at Old Trafford, including the club’s reported stance on Carrick and an update on JJ Gabriel’s future.

JJ Gabriel working with ‘super agent’

Gabriel, 15, has reportedly secured the services of agent Ali Barat as his efforts to depart United gather momentum. The intermediary’s connections could prove crucial to his prospects after reportedly establishing links with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

It emerged last week that Gabriel has requested to be de-registered at United, which would enable him to explore opportunities elsewhere. Young prospects are prohibited from securing official representation until reaching 16 years of age.

Barat is alleged to be the frontrunner to become Gabriel’s agent once he celebrates his 16th birthday on October 6. That is supposedly down to his work in generating interest from Real and Bayern in recent weeks.

Gabriel, who recently netted a hat-trick in a UEFA Youth League encounter against Sabah, has previously attracted attention from Barcelona. Arsenal have also been mentioned as they seek to add another promising British talent to their collection of prospects.

United have reportedly turned down Gabriel’s request to be de-registered, with both parties currently at an impasse. However, should the request be approved, Gabriel could sign for a continental heavyweight provided he secures an EU passport, which he is entitled to through his parents – a Greek-Cypriot mother and father, Joe, who represented the Republic of Ireland.

Carrick safe – for now

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United’s hierarchy is not considering dismissing Carrick as manager and appointing Antonio Conte in his place. That’s according to TEAMtalk, who have indicated the club intends to back its embattled manager.

The international window represents a common period for clubs to make significant managerial calls. Following Sunday’s stalemate at Fulham, the United dugout is becoming increasingly precarious for Carrick.

Nevertheless, it’s understood the United board remains committed to the current manager. Despite reports from Italy suggesting Conte is United’s No. 1 choice to replace Carrick should he leave, TEAMtalk reported there have been no conversations regarding potential successors.

Conte, 57, remains without a club following his departure from Napoli at the conclusion of last season. The Italian represents an attractive prospect given he has already secured the Premier League title at Chelsea in 2017.

Nevertheless, it appears United are fully committed to Carrick’s vision for now. That said, those at the helm of Old Trafford will undoubtedly need to witness some upturn after the international break if they are to sustain that stance.

“It is beautiful. I mean, the time we landed, we saw the people very cordial, generous, and helpful in nature, which we see at back at home as well. The hospitality is brilliant, and yeah, I mean, it is too early to talk about it, but I’m sure that I’ve heard special things from people about Japan as a country and Tokyo as a city as well, so looking forward to exploring more,” he said.

“It is going to be a thrilling and exciting match for us. This is the first time we would be playing Japan, and do not know much about the conditions, the wicket, but looking forward to have a great match,” he added. 

The Netherlands are set to face Germany, with both sides fielding new managers. Gianni Infantino has taken a step back in the FIFA crisis. In basketball, Nicolas Batum has announced his retirement after 21 seasons.