Published Jul 17, 2026, 6:10 AM GMT+1

Ethan is a feature and opinion journalist at Football FanCast.

He studied Football Journalism at the University of Derby, undertaking roles such as media assistant for Non-League side Mickleover Sports and EFL reporter for VAVEL.

Upon graduating in 2023, Ethan spent six months at GRV Media as a Premier League journalist, before joining FootballFanCast in February 2024.

Ethan is an avid Nottingham Forest supporter and season ticket holder, who also holds a keen interest in Formula One.

He covers a host of sides from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, to Leeds and clubs across the Midlands such as Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. He particularly enjoys producing analytical content.

The Red Devils have now failed to win a title since the 2012/13 campaign, with no manager since Sir Alex Ferguson able to secure title glory at Old Trafford.

However, Carrick will be hoping to end such a run during the 2026/27 campaign, but he will have to build on his success during his temporary spell at the helm.

The 44-year-old only lost two of his 17 games in England’s top-flight after replacing Ruben Amorim, resulting in a permanent contract being handed to him by INEOS.

He will be hoping that one of his new additions will be able to make an immediate impact for the Red Devils - after numerous failed attempts to secure his signature in years gone by.

Why United should have signed Tielemans earlier

As part of the summer recruitment drive, United secured the £35m signing of midfielder Youri Tielemans from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa.

The Belgian international has been constantly on the Red Devils’ radar over recent seasons, even trying to land the 29-year-old during the summer of 2019 and 2022.

Whilst INEOS will no doubt be happy to secure his signature this window, the club may have missed a huge opportunity to secure his services years before his eventual arrival.

He’s spent the last eight years starring in England’s top division, subsequently helping Leicester City and Aston Villa win numerous pieces of silverware during that period.

Tielemans has previously impressed against the Red Devils in the Premier League, even scoring in a 4-2 win for the Foxes at the King Power Stadium back in October 2021.

His ability to deliver on the big occasion has also been evident during recent seasons - subsequently scoring in cup final wins for Leicester and Aston Villa in 2021 and 2026.

Now that the Belgian has finally completed his long-awaited transfer to the Theatre of Dreams, the supporters will no doubt be hoping to be on the right end of his efforts in cup competitions.

Why United’s £40m target could be Tielemans 2.0

Despite the move for Tielemans being completed this week, United’s efforts in the transfer window have shown no signs of slowing down ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Andrey Santos is another midfielder who’s already made a move to the Theatre of Dreams this window, but a top-level ball-winner is still being hunted by Jason Wilcox and the hierarchy.

Manu Kone has been mentioned as another transfer target for the Red Devils, but no formal approach has yet been made for the Frenchman’s signature.

However, TEAMtalk have confirmed that talks have been ongoing with the representatives of Fulham midfielder Sander Berge over the possibility of a switch to Old Trafford.

The report states that Wilcox is leading the current recruitment drive for the Norwegian international, who featured five times for his nation at the ongoing World Cup.

A fee in the region of £40m has been touted for the 28-year-old’s signature, but it’s unclear how advanced the deal is for the Cottagers star at present.

A summer deal for Berge would emulate that of Tielemans, with the Red Devils landing an experienced and proven deep-lying Premier League operator.

His stats from the recent campaign in England’s top-flight highlight his quality without the ball - which could make him the perfect ball-winning option this window.

The Norwegian international managed to win 1.8 tackles per 90 last term, whilst also being dribbled past just 0.3 times per 90 throughout his 35 league outings.

The latter of the aforementioned figures ranks him above 94% of midfielders in the division - subsequently highlighting his excellent ability to disrupt the opposition’s progress.

He also managed to win 55% of the ground duels he entered at Craven Cottage, with only Casemiro able to win more of his efforts out of the midfielders on the books in Manchester.

There’s no denying that Berge won’t be many of the supporters' first choice this summer, but he’s undoubtedly a player who has been underappreciated in recent times.

Fulham's Sander Berge in action with Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers

£40m for the 28-year-old could prove to be a solid piece of business for Carrick’s men this summer, with the midfielder able to provide a superb and experienced option at the heart of the side.

He would emulate Tielemans in joining United from a fellow Premier League side for a bargain fee - which could allow the pair to strike up a partnership and bring glory back to the Theatre of Dreams.