Sir Jim Ratcliffe, inset, alongside the Manchester United badge and Michael Carrick, Man Utd manager
Manchester United boss Michael Carrick with Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Respected reporter David Ornstein has revealed that Michael Carrick wanted a different signing before Manchester United landed Carlos Baleba in a £70m summer deal from Brighton and Hove Albion.
In the summer, Man Utd largely focused on overhauling their midfield and spent over £150m to sign Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Baleba.
The Red Devils also recruited Karl Darlow and several up-and-coming talents, but they had little funds remaining to strengthen other positions, and this already seems to be costing them.
Man Utd were foolish not to sign a left-back to provide cover for Luke Shaw, especially now that the England international has picked up a knock and missed Sunday’s Manchester derby.
We have reported that the Red Devils are already lining up a move for an alternative to Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall ahead of January, but Ornstein has shed light on why they did not sign a left-back in the summer.
Ornstein said in a Q&A for The Athletic: “Yeah, Newcastle’s Lewis Hall was looked at. Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly was looked at as left-back/midfielder.
“There would have been different options right up until deadline day, when they were offered the opportunity to go for Manchester City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri on loan. City would have wanted quite a high obligation to buy.
“United weren’t prepared to do that, because he isn’t seen as their long-term solution in that position, which shows that left-back was a real area of interest.”
David Ornstein reveals Michael Carrick’s preference over Carlos Baleba
Interestingly, Ornstein has also revealed Carrick initially wanted Man Utd to sign a left-back before they opted to land Baleba as a third new midfielder.
Ornstein has also noted that the Red Devils made a ‘sudden’ change to prioritise Baleba after Carrick had his eyes on Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Ornstein continued: “There was a point in the window when United had already signed two midfielders, Andrey Santos (from Chelsea) and Youri Tielemans (from Aston Villa). And we all thought, ‘Now they’re going to go for a third’ — they were linked with Roma’s Manu Kone and others.
“I heard Carrick’s focus was the left-back first, and that’s when Lewis-Skelly came into the picture, after it was clear Lewis Hall couldn’t be attained.
“And then, suddenly, they pivoted back to the midfielder with Carlos Baleba (signed from Brighton & Hove Albion). And then at the end it was, ‘Can we squeeze in a midfielder/left-back?’
“I respect that they didn’t want to do something just for the sake of it, which could have come back to haunt them, and they felt they had options, with Luke Shaw, with Patrick Dorgu, with Harry Amass, with Noussair Mazraoui if needed, but it does now look a bit like an oversight that you would suspect is addressed sooner rather than later.”