Carlos Baleba’s arrival at Manchester United will help Michael Carrick steer clear of Ruben Amorim’s errors.
Manchester United fans were promised a midfield rebuild this summer, and it seems a £65m deal for Carlos Baleba is the final missing piece of Ineos’ puzzle.
Carlos Baleba will join fellow signings Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans in United’s new-look midfield department.
Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount are also considered as central midfield options, but Mount is injured for the start of the season and Mainoo managed just one half of football in pre-season.
Michael Carrick can avoid repeat of Bruno Fernandes saga
Last season, Ruben Amorim started the 2025/26 campaign with club captain Bruno Fernandes playing as a central midfielder in his 3-4-2-1 formation.
Bruno Fernandes lined up alongside Casemiro early on in the season, with Amorim overlooking Mainoo completely.
The Fernandes in midfield experiment ended badly, and the Portuguese playmaker thrived when he was returned to an advanced No.10 position under Michael Carrick.
Fernandes ended up breaking the Premier League assist record despite not registering a single assist in his first seven league appearances.
The misprofiling of Fernandes turned out to be one of Amorim’s biggest mistakes at United. Carrick can now avoid walking a similar path.
Michael Carrick no longer has to consider Bruno Fernandes in midfield
United are juggling four competitions in 2026/27, with two matches a week under Carrick.
Carrick will need to rotate, but Baleba now means that United have four reliable midfield options covering the two central positions in Baleba, Tielemans, Santos and Mainoo.
Ugarte and Mount have their own injury problems, but will bolster Carrick’s options when fit.
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Prior to the Baleba deal, it looked worryingly likely that Fernandes may have to be considered as a central midfield option for Carrick.
But Fernandes can now focus on his preferred No.10 position knowing that he has a solid foundation of midfielders playing behind him. Carrick can avoid playing Fernandes deeper.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/1Havhko