Martinez's Man Utd bombshell: Five summer signings Wilcox should have brought to Old Trafford

Manchester United had precocious hopes heading into the 2026-27 play aft a superb 2nd fractional to the 2025-26 run pursuing the assignment of Michael Carrick. 

Carrick led the Red Devils to a third-placed decorativeness successful the Premier League, earning him the imperishable position, but Manchester United person failed to scope those aforesaid heights astatine the opening of the caller campaign.

Man Utd person won conscionable 2 of their 9 matches crossed each competitions, with their 2-0 decision to Atletico Madrid earlier this week marking their 5th consecutive lucifer without victory, featuring 3 defeats and 2 draws.

Following the Champions League loss, Lisandro Martinez delivered a bombshell interview, voicing his frustrations with the club's hierarchy implicit a deficiency of summertime concern successful the squad. 

"We expect much from the top, from upstairs, to bring successful much players to compete," Martinez said, earlier directing further disapproval astatine Jason Wilcox by adding "I expect much from our method director.

Man Utd made conscionable 4 elder summertime signings, bringing successful Karl Darlow (free), Youri Tielemans (£35m), Andrey Santos (£50m) and Carlos Baleba (£70m), leaving galore fans, and evidently Martinez, questioning whether the nine had done capable to code the squad's weaknesses.

Fans person besides made their concerns wide astir the signings themselves, with galore feeling arsenic though determination were amended options disposable that Man Utd should person signed during the summer. 

As Martinez's comments person present brought these feelings into sharper focus, Sports Mole takes a look backmost astatine 5 players Man Utd should person signed during the summertime transportation window.

Lewis Hall (Newcastle United)

Arguably the biggest occupation country near wholly untouched during the 2026 summertime transportation model was astatine left-back, with Luke Shaw the lone elder enactment astatine the club. 

After playing each 38 Premier League matches for Man Utd past season, Shaw's wounded issues person returned this term, starring to the Red Devils having to play 20-year-old cardinal defender Ayden Heaven astatine left-back against Atletico Madrid. 

The Red Devils were heavy linked with galore left-backs during the summertime earlier yet deciding not to motion different option, which has near them highly abbreviated this season. 

The astir heavy linked with a determination to Man Utd was Newcastle United and England left-back Hall, who has consistently impressed since signing for the Magpies successful 2023-24. 

Hall was reportedly disposable for astir £70m astatine points during the summertime transportation window, and though a steep terms for a full-back, Man Utd should person paid the terms to guarantee they had prime options successful each position. 

Alejandro Balde (Barcelona)

Alternatively to Hall, Manchester United were besides linked powerfully with a precocious determination for Barcelona's Balde during the closing days of the transportation window. 

Balde would person offered a antithetic illustration to Hall, with the Spaniard a much attacking enactment boasting blistering gait and method prime successful the last third, portion his established narration with Marcus Rashford could besides person been beneficial. 

It was reported passim the model that Barcelona were unfastened to considering selling the defender, but Manchester United were supposedly enactment disconnected by the fiscal demands. 

Ultimately, the determination to not bring successful either of these left-back options has near Manchester United without a natural, elder left-back successful the ongoing lack of Shaw.

Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)

Manchester United whitethorn person brought successful 3 cardinal midfielders successful the summertime transportation window, but it tin beryllium argued that nary of the 3 were initially precocious connected the precedence list. 

Man Utd had antecedently been linked with Baleba, and the erstwhile Brighton & Hove Albion antheral does bring the vigor and prime needed successful the mediate of the park.

However, Tielemans and Santos' signings appeared from obscurity during the summer, and some arguably neglect to bring the qualities that galore believed Manchester United were lacking successful the mediate of the park. 

Man Utd needed a defensive-minded spouse for Kobbie Mainoo successful midfield, and reported people Tchouameni would person been the cleanable enactment to execute precisely that. 

Real Madrid were reportedly considering selling the midfielder aboriginal successful the summertime transportation window, and Manchester United could person signatured his signature had they made a decisive determination for the France international. 

Tchouameni, alongside 2 oregon adjacent each 3 of Man Utd's eventual midfield signings, would person provided the pedigree and prime to assistance the Red Devils power the mediate of the parkland - thing they person severely struggled with astatine the commencement of this term.

Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)

Injury issues astatine the commencement of the 2026-27 play person besides exposed Man Utd's deficiency of striking options, with Benjamin Sesko's wounded leaving Joshua Zirkzee arsenic the lone earthy and disposable option. 

Although the likes of Rashford, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are susceptible of starring the line, each 3 are astatine their champion erstwhile operating somewhat deeper oregon successful wide positions. 

Zirkzee, connected the different hand, is simply a much earthy striker but has failed to amusement his qualities since signing for Manchester United, and was adjacent linked with a precocious determination to Everton earlier the woody fell through. 

Man Utd should person identified this country of weakness and brought successful different experienced and susceptible option, and Crystal Palace's Mateta would person been the cleanable antheral for the job. 

Mateta has scored astatine slightest 12 league goals successful each of the past 3 seasons for the Eagles, making him a superb enactment to rotate with, and commencement up of, Sesko erstwhile needed.

The striker was supposedly looking for a determination distant from Selhurst Park successful the summer, with Crystal Palace reportedly asking for conscionable £25m for the France international's signature.

Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)

Finally, Manchester United person been lacking prime extent successful cardinal defence for respective seasons. 

Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire person often been the preferred concern for respective seasons, aggregate of which person ended successful disappointment, portion Matthijs de Ligt has been ruled retired for an extended play of clip owed to injury. 

Heaven and Leny Yoro are besides options to start, but some are young defenders that request clip and acquisition earlier they should beryllium shouldering the work of being archetypal prime astatine Old Trafford.

Therefore, Manchester United should person spent the wealth needed to bring successful 1 of the champion cardinal defenders successful Europe, with Schlotterbeck the prime of the bunch. 

Schlotterbeck was linked with a determination to galore elite clubs during the summer, including Manchester United, and portion Borussia Dortmund would person demanded a sizeable fee, it whitethorn person been worthy paying. 

Manchester United person conceded successful 8 of their 9 matches this term, with respective antiaircraft errors, and idiosyncratic similar Schlotterbeck could person provided the prime and acquisition needed to assistance settee their defence.