Michael Carrick has acknowledged that Manchester United may need to enter the market for a left-sided attacker this summer — a notable shift after three transfer windows under Ruben Amorim were largely spent trimming the club’s wide options.
Traditionally, United’s identity has been shaped by elite wide players. From George Best, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo to influential figures such as Steve Coppell, Gordon Hill, Willie Morgan and Andrei Kanchelskis, the flanks have long been a source of creativity and match-winning moments. Even Busby Babe Eddie Colman — not a conventional winger — earned the nickname “snake hips” for his balance and change of direction at pace.
Yet the current squad presents a stark contrast to that heritage.
United began last season with five senior wide players. Jadon Sancho, Antony and Amad Diallo alone represented a combined investment of £173m, while Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho emerged from the club’s development system — although Garnacho joined from Atletico Madrid as a teenager in 2020.
Within 12 months, that depth has thinned considerably.
Sancho is currently on loan at Aston Villa after a temporary spell at Chelsea last season, during which the London club activated a £5m clause to return him to Old Trafford rather than make the move permanent. With his contract expiring this summer, the England international — signed in 2021 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer — appears unlikely to remain. Solskjaer had initially envisaged him on the right, though Sancho preferred operating from the left.
Antony departed for Real Betis in a £21.65m deal last September, shortly after Garnacho completed a £40m switch to Chelsea.
Rashford, another player most effective from the left, spent the second half of last season at Villa following a breakdown in his relationship with Amorim, before joining Barcelona on loan. The Spanish club hold a £26m option to buy, and preliminary discussions have begun. However, no agreement has yet been reached. With two years remaining on a £325,000-a-week contract, any permanent move would require further negotiation.
As it stands, Amad is the only orthodox winger available to Carrick. Patrick Dorgu, recruited from Lecce as a wing-back under Amorim, has been deployed higher up the pitch, offering tactical flexibility but not a like-for-like solution.
While managerial clarity beyond the end of the season remains unresolved, Carrick insists his decisions are aligned with long-term planning.
When asked directly whether left wing was a priority area, the 44-year-old responded:
“You’re always looking at the balance of the team and the squad to give you the utmost flexibility, so it’s definitely something to look at.”
Pressed further, he added:
“Quite possibly.”
Despite this, Carrick does not view the situation as critical.
“It’s not a huge concern at the moment,” he said. “We can still be dangerous.”
Matheus Cunha has been used in wider roles, and Carrick highlighted his ability to unsettle defenders in one-on-one situations. However, Cunha is most comfortable drifting inside, operating between the lines rather than hugging the touchline — underlining the absence of a natural left-sided winger.
Academy prospects offer theoretical depth but limited immediate assurance.
James Scanlon, a Gibraltar international, featured heavily in the Premier League 2 side earlier this season but has since joined promotion-chasing Swindon on loan. Shea Lacey impressed in brief senior cameos but prefers the right flank and has had minimal involvement since his FA Cup red card against Brighton in January.
In practical terms, Carrick’s attacking width remains thin.
Few supporters contest the departures of Sancho or Antony, and while opinions differ on the handling of Garnacho and Rashford, both players had become uncertain fits within Amorim’s tactical framework.
However, the wider-left imbalance exposes a recurring issue in United’s recruitment strategy — short-term managerial alignment over long-term squad coherence. Amorim’s tactical system differed markedly from his predecessors, and the reshaping of the squad has left structural gaps.
United were prepared to invest £65m in Antoine Semenyo in January, but the former Bournemouth forward opted for Manchester City. Amorim reportedly preferred to allocate funds elsewhere, suggesting the club’s hierarchy is now targeting specific positional needs — with the left side high on the list.
United have been linked with RB Leipzig’s 19-year-old Ivory Coast international Yan Diomande, who could command a fee in the region of £70m. Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon has also been mentioned, though concrete interest remains unclear.
Any move, however, will be influenced by competing priorities. The club are intent on recruiting at least one — and potentially two — central midfielders. Casemiro is set to depart at season’s end, while £50m signing Manuel Ugarte has struggled for minutes under Carrick.
Budget discipline remains a key factor, with cost controls in place across the club. The left-wing debate therefore becomes a test of allocation: is structural balance worth sacrificing investment elsewhere?
No decisions can be formalised until the transfer window opens. Until then, Carrick must maximise his existing resources.
“We’re always thinking of that perfect scenario of mixing players together and connections and seeing how it suits on the pitch,” he said. “There’s different ways of doing it and we have really good options across the front line.”
Whether those options are sufficient in the long term remains open to debate — but United’s summer planning will likely reveal just how high left wing ranks on their list of priorities.
