Michael Carrick insists Manchester United can compete with their Premier League rivals this season despite being out-spent in the transfer market.
United brought in three midfielders over the summer at a cost of around £150 million ($202m).
Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all invested more in transfer fees. But Carrick believes that despite the gulf his team can still match the traditional top six on the pitch.
“I certainly feel we can compete,” Carrick told a news conference ahead of United’s trip to Everton on Sunday.
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“I think the challenge is just getting the right dynamics, getting the right balance, getting the right group together, getting the best players in the group to enhance the rest of the group.
“The actual amount of money in the end, I understand it can be a big thing. It doesn’t always have to be the answer, but it can be.”
Carrick said he’s “largely happy” with his squad after the transfer deadline passed on Tuesday.
He said United “made the most” of the resources they had available to bring in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba and suggested there is more to winning matches than just the cost of a team.
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“Money is one thing, what you do with it is another thing, how you make the most of it is another thing,” the United boss added.
“It’s about what happens on the pitch at the end of the day, and we just keep giving what we can, giving our best, you know, and keep trying to win.”
United spent most of their transfer budget in 2025 bringing in three forwards. The midfield has been revamped this summer with speculation already that the focus in 2027 will be strengthening the defence.
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Carrick stopped short of revealing the club’s transfer plans, but said there was a “clear idea” of what the squad will look like in the future.
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“I think there is the evolution of trying to improve things all the time, and how the season goes, form, injuries, who’s looking good, what the future looks like,” he said.
“There’s obviously a lot that goes into it, and step by step we’re trying to improve.
“We’ll see how the season goes and what we need to develop, but we’ve obviously got a clear idea what we want to look like coming through this summer to then a little bit further down the line.”
