Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is getting a new perspective, proving that Michael Carrick is fighting an unfair battle.
So far, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have been Man Utd’s only midfield signings, and the only two genuine first-team quality additions.
The chase for a third midfielder continues, while the tall claims after qualifying for the Champions League have rendered nothing so far.
Michael Carrick is fighting with one hand tied behind his back, and that is proven further by the Ayyoub Bouaddi deal.
Manchester United Head Coach / Manager Michael Carrick applauds the fans at the end of the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and AFC Wrexham at Helsingin Olympiastadion on July 18, 2026 in Helsinki, Finland.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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It can be revealed that £243m will already be leaving Old Trafford this summer…
Ayyoub Bouaddi deal shows difference in playing field
Man City and United play in the same league, but the difference in the playing fields they operate in couldn’t be more stark.
City lost Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Bernardo Silva, and they are likely replacing them with Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson, and Rayan Cherki.
Erling Haaland came to replace Sergio Aguero, and that is without even mentioning the fees they waste on the likes of Jack Grealish or Kalvin Phillips.
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In contrast, United are having to hunt for bargains in the market due to their precarious financial situation, not even improved much by UCL qualification this season.
City can spend another £100m on an unproven teenager in Bouaddi, less than a month after breaking the British record for Anderson.
United are celebrating triggering the release clause of Youri Tielemans, and hoping Andrey Santos is a stressed asset with upside.
United know better than anybody else that spending big is not always the recipe for success, but the ambition with which they do their rebuild pales in comparison to what happens at their rivals.
Michael Carrick’s achievements will mean more
Carrick is clearly fighting an unfair battle against state-owned clubs who have taken the financial rules for a ride and made a joke out of them.
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City are a club with 115 charges hanging over their head, and yet, they spend like there’s no tomorrow, with barely any acknowledgement of the charges.
This is in stark contrast to the landscape Sir Alex Ferguson operated in, where United were clearly the biggest players on the pitch and off it as well.
His latter titles did come against state-owned clubs, but the cheating was nowhere near as blatant as it is now, as the financial figures stop making sense.
If Carrick wins even one title in the current landscape, it will mean so much more because of the difference in the level of playing fields.
If Sir Alex defeated a Liverpool dynasty, Carrick will have to defeat entire countries.
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