Manchester United did not sign any first-team players in the January windowplaceholder image
Manchester United did not sign any first-team players in the January window | Getty Images
Man Utd return to action when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League today.
United did not add a midfielder to their squad during the winter window but will prioritise an overhaul of the position in the summer. It is understood the club will be in the market for two midfielders, with Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson currently viewed as the dream addition to their squad.
Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo are currently the favoured midfield partnership by Carrick, with Manuel Ugarte the reserve option. Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount are both also capable of playing in a central role if required, while Lisandro Martinez was utilised in that position earlier in the season. Many supporters would like to have seen United strengthen in central midfield during the transfer window, though Carrick is confident with the options already at his disposal.
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Carrick backs Ugarte to be 'big part' of squad
Manchester United will have to find a way to replace Casemiro this summer, something they have struggled to do during the current campaign. The Brazil international has already revealed he will leave the club as a free agent at the end of the season and there has been a notable drop-off in quality when he has not been on the pitch.
United have won just one of the nine matches Manuel Ugarte has started as a defensive midfielder this season, while 24 of the goals they have conceded have come when he has been on the pitch. Asked if he was concerned by the decision not to sign a midfielder, Michael Carrick told reporters: "Listen, there's all sorts of things can happen. It's not one fix.
"I think we've got a really good balance of a squad in general. So there are plenty of solutions for us. Manu has obviously come on and he's going to be a big part of our squad, our team between now and the end of the season, and sharing the load. We've got different things that we can do, it just depends what happens. We've got to be able to adapt and be flexible. But I'm confident we can find the right solutions if we needed to. At the moment, we're pretty stable and we're in good shape."
Kobbie Mainoo will continue to play a key role for the rest of the season under Carrick, and the new head coach believes he is an important part of the club's future. He added: "Knowing Kobbie to start with, and what he could bring to the team, it was my thought to put him into the team. I thought he would give us an awful lot. I think from the club's point of view, there's an ideal scenario to bring player's through the academy and have them in the team and have them go through their career at this club, staying in and around it. I think I was fortunate enough to be with a lot of players that managed to do that, and I think it's important.
"Obviously, with Munich and the kind of the foundation of the football club, everything feeds off that. I'm not putting everything on Kobbie's shoulders; he's doing terrific at the moment and I'm sure he'll continue to be that way. We want more, we want more players to come through the system and to get into the first team. For me, there's no better feeling of giving younger players a chance. He's taken the chance over recent weeks and I am sure he will continue to do that."
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