Carragher Questions Manchester United's Midfield Strategy
Jamie Carragher has cast a harsh light on Manchester United’s summer business, questioning both the timing and ambition behind their midfield rebuild.
‘Wrong way round’ – Carragher on Tielemans move
Youri Tielemans has arrived at Old Trafford as a £35 million signing from Aston Villa, handed a five-year deal and a central role in Michael Carrick’s new-look midfield. On paper, it sounds like the sort of move United might have made years ago.
That’s exactly Carragher’s problem with it.
Speaking on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet, the former Liverpool defender admitted he cannot quite make sense of the Belgian’s career trajectory.
He recalled flicking between the UEFA Super Cup clash between PSG and Aston Villa and United’s friendly against Leeds: Tielemans stepped up to take a corner, and the thought hit him.
"The thing with Tielemans, I was watching the [UEFA] Super Cup [between PSG and Aston Villa] and I’d just seen that Man United were on ITV playing Leeds, so I put it on.
"It just came to me a little bit - Tielemans was taking a corner, and it come to me, he’s a good player, don’t get me wrong. But you’d almost feel like he should have been at United a few years ago, then gone to Villa – not being at Villa, then gone to United.
"I’m not saying he’s had his best days, but it almost felt like the wrong way round. The last three years should have been at United, and then he gets sold to Villa."
For Carragher, United have ended up paying for a player who once looked destined for the elite but is now arriving after that initial peak of promise, rather than at the start of it.
Fernandes slips away as Spurs pounce
If Tielemans feels like a move made too late, Mateus Fernandes feels like a move never truly made at all.
United held talks with West Ham over the Portuguese midfielder, only to walk away when the price hit £85m. Tottenham Hotspur did not hesitate, sealing a blockbuster deal for one of the most talked-about young midfielders in the league.
Carragher did not hide his frustration at United’s stance.
"I was a little bit worried when I saw United linked with Fernandes because I thought that could be a good signing. I just looked at him and his age and was surprised United didn’t go for Fernandes.
"They said it was too expensive but was it that expensive? I know £85m is a lot but you’re never going to get a really top midfielder now for £50m."
In his eyes, United have paid a mid-range fee for Tielemans while allowing a prime-age, high-ceiling midfielder to head to a direct rival. The contrast is stark.
Scholes warns of gaps still to fill
If Carragher questions the logic, Paul Scholes questions the completeness. For the former United midfielder, the squad still looks short in key areas as the window ticks towards its close.
He accepts there is depth in attack. Scholes pointed to the versatility already in Carrick’s squad.
"A priority position for United... think of a position where it’s needed most," Scholes said. "We’ve got players who can cover the forward areas - I think [Matheus] Cunha can play centre-forward, and [Bryan] Mbeumo can play centre-forward. And you’ve still got - I don’t know what’s going to happen with Marcus Rashford, but again, there’s another option in that area.
"I still think either centre-half or central midfielder is a priority."
The message is clear: Tielemans alone does not solve United’s structural issues. Not at the back. Not in the heart of midfield.
Questions before kick-off
All of this lands in the week United open their Premier League campaign at home to newly-promoted Hull City on Saturday. The optimism around a fresh start under Carrick is now sharing space with pointed questions about recruitment, spending and long-term planning.
Tielemans has his stage. A big club, a big fee, a big role. Carragher has laid down the challenge, intentionally or not: prove that this move has not come three years too late.
If the Belgian can drive this United side forward and anchor the midfield the way Carrick wants, the doubts fade. If he cannot, the narrative that United bought the wrong player at the wrong time, while letting the right one join Tottenham, will only grow louder as the season unfolds.
