Manchester United will step up their pre-season work next week as they travel to Ireland for a training camp, with the final two friendlies of the summer against Leeds in Dublin and AC Milan in Wroclaw.
This week should see the return of the last of the World Cup contingent and Michael Carrick will have a full squad to work with, but there have still been only three new signings and there is plenty of uncertainty around the transfer window at Old Trafford.
With so much going on at Carrington, we’re running weekly Q&A sessions to give you the chance to ask the questions you want to be answered. Simply add your question here and our Senior Manchester United Correspondent, Tyrone Marshall, will get back to you.
Here are the latest answers to the questions you have asked:
Why are the owners so reluctant to spend money? Every United supporter can see that we are still three players short. We need a defensive midfielder, a winger and either a centre-back or a left-back.
It does feel like United have been overly cautious this summer, at a time when their rivals are spending money faster than it’s being printed. It makes for a fascinating contrast heading into the season.
I’m not sure we’ll get three more signings now, but although it feels quiet at the moment, I would expect more activity and more spending. There is a feeling at United that they should be judged when the window is shut, rather than now.
United don’t seem to want to pay for players so why not bring back Jadon Sancho as a winger?
Not sure if this is tongue-in-cheek or not. Would be quite the plot twist if Rashford and Sancho returned to United in the same summer. The fact is that if United had any desire to keep Sancho, they would have offered him a new contract.
He’s had loan spells at Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa and none of those clubs have wanted to keep him. He’s been a free agent for nearly six weeks now and hasn’t got a club lined up.
So he’s hardly in demand and if Rashford remains at Old Trafford, they don’t need a winger anyway. It will be interesting to see where Sancho ends up but it feels like he really needs to knuckle down to fulfil the potential everyone could see he had.
We still need a backup for Bruno Fernandes. Are United doing anything about this position?
There are no plans to sign a No.10 in this window. United did have some interest in Morgan Rogers and I think he could have played off the left and stood in for Fernandes, and perhaps replaced him in time, but they were never in the conversation at £117million.
This squad has players who can play there. I actually think it’s Matheus Cunha’s best position and Shea Lacey has twice started there in pre-season and looked really good. Amad is another who has played centrally, either as a false nine or as a No.10, so United are in a position where they can rest Fernandes more often this season. Which is something they really need to do.
I hope Rashford stays and plays for United this season. What are Ineos thinking about this?
As things stand, Rashford remaining at United and playing this season is the most likely outcome, although it feels like everything around this situation is subject to change.
Although they won’t say it, I think United would still like to sell Rashford and would snap someone’s hand off for £25million. There are people close to Rashford who believe United don’t actually want to sell him at all. So it’s clear as mud.
If anything is to happen, I think it will be late in the window, and for his part, Rashford wants to remain in the Champions League and amongst Europe’s elite. So forget about Turkey or Saudi Arabia.
How many more players do you think United will sign and will we get a reliable No.6?
This is a tough question to answer. I feel like they will end up signing fewer players than I expected at the start of the window. I’m going to say they will get two more, which will be a left-back and a midfielder.
I’m not sure that midfielder will be a traditional No.6, however. Carrick wants midfielders who are comfortable on the ball and can pass it this summer and while there are No.6s out there who tick every box, they cost a lot of money. I think it could be another high-level technical player in the £30million to £50million price range.
Do United think Dan Gore and Toby Collyer have done enough to be stars of the future? They have amazing potential.
I think the ship has sailed for Collyer. He turns 23 in January and at best he will be fifth or sixth choice for United next season. He is up for sale this summer and I think he is likely to leave on a permanent basis.
Gore could be sold as well. He is 22 in September and although he had a really good loan at Rotherham in League One last season, he isn’t ready for the Premier League but has outgrown academy football, so a move makes sense for all parties.
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