Manchester United’s 2026/27 Premier League season has started with more questions than answers.
The Red Devils have collected just five points from their opening five league matches, with the latest coming in a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Man United had already suffered defeats to Hull City and Manchester City before the international break, while they were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton after throwing away a 2-0 lead.
The Manchester United signings from the 2026 summer window have begun to play an important role in the early weeks of the season, with most of the new arrivals brought in to strengthen the midfield.
Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans were joined by Carlos Baleba, while Karl Darlow arrived as another goalkeeping option. The club also completed deals for several younger players.
However, with several of the Manchester United signings still adapting to Michael Carrick’s system, it is too early to know exactly how much of an impact the new arrivals will have over the full campaign.
The Impact of the 2026/27 Manchester United Signings
The opening weeks of the season have already provided some indication of where the summer additions have helped United and where there are still problems to solve.
The biggest change has come in midfield, while the attack and defence have remained areas where Carrick has had to rely heavily on players who were already at the club.
Familiar Faces Still Leading the Attack
The attack is perhaps the most difficult area to judge when looking at the Manchester United signings.
Man United did not make a major attacking addition during the 2026 summer window, meaning Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko remain central to Carrick’s plans after arriving the previous summer.
Cunha has arguably been the most important attacking player during the early weeks of the campaign.
The Brazil international scored a late equaliser against Fulham to rescue a 1-1 draw, with his effort taking a deflection before finding the net. It was his first Premier League goal of the season and prevented United from suffering another defeat.
Mbeumo has also remained an important part of the attack, while Sesko has provided another option through the middle.
However, Sesko was not included in the squad for the Fulham match and had still been waiting for his first Premier League start of the season. His absence highlighted how much United still depend on their existing attacking options.
Another familiar face has also returned to Carrick’s squad in Marcus Rashford.
The England international spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Barcelona after previously spending part of the 2024/25 campaign at Aston Villa. He returned to Manchester United for the new season and was given the No.9 shirt.
Rashford has already made an impact under Carrick, starting against Everton and Manchester City. He was particularly impressive in the 2-2 draw with Everton, creating several opportunities and being voted United’s Player of the Match by supporters. However, the club will need him to regain goal-scoring form.
His return gives Carrick another attacking option without Man United having to bring in another forward during the summer window.
The Manchester United signings have therefore not completely changed the attack.
Instead, Carrick has been left to get more from Cunha, Mbeumo, Sesko, Rashford and Bruno Fernandes while the new additions strengthen other areas of the squad.
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A Completely Different Midfield
Midfield is where the Manchester United signings have made the biggest difference.
Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos arrived in July before Carlos Baleba joined from Brighton in August. The trio were brought in as part of a major rebuild of Man United’s central midfield following Casemiro’s departure.
Tielemans brings considerable Premier League experience after four seasons with Aston Villa, while Santos joined from Chelsea.
Baleba is a different type of addition, with his ability to carry the ball and cover ground giving Carrick another option in the centre of the pitch.
However, Baleba has yet to make his Manchester United debut after arriving with an injury, meaning Carrick is still waiting to see exactly what the midfielder can add to the team.
The Manchester United signings have therefore given Carrick more variety in midfield, but the early results suggest that the new-look unit still needs time to settle.
Man United had spells of control against Fulham but struggled to maintain their intensity, with the midfield eventually losing influence as the match progressed. The Red Devils had 29 attempts at Craven Cottage but were unable to turn that possession and pressure into more than one goal.
Bruno Fernandes remains an important part of the midfield, while Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte also provide further options.
The Manchester United signings have increased competition in the area, but Carrick still needs to find the right combination.
Defensive Problems Remain
Defence is another area where the summer Manchester United signings have not provided a complete solution.
Man United did not make a major senior centre-back addition during the summer, meaning Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro remain important options.
The problems at the back were visible in the draw against Fulham.
Carrick’s men conceded after a deflection resulted in Martinez turning the ball into his own net, although goalkeeper Senne Lammens also had to make several saves to keep United in the match.
Lammens has remained Man United’s first-choice goalkeeper since establishing himself in the team during the 2025/26 season, while Karl Darlow was brought in during the summer to provide additional competition.
Darlow joined on a free transfer after his contract with Leeds United expired, giving United another experienced goalkeeper alongside Tom Heaton and Lammens.
The Manchester United signings have therefore added depth in goal, but they have not solved the wider defensive issues.
The full-back positions also remain an area of concern, with Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui competing for places.
Man United have conceded in each of their last three Premier League matches, while the defeat to Manchester City and draw with Fulham showed that defensive mistakes can still undo periods of promising play.
For now, the Manchester United signings have strengthened the squad without completely fixing the problems that were already there.
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Extra Time Notes
There is still a long way to go in Manchester United’s 2026/27 campaign, meaning it would be too early to make any final judgement on the summer arrivals.
The Manchester United signings have clearly changed the midfield, with Tielemans, Santos and Baleba giving Carrick a completely different group of options in the centre of the pitch.
However, the opening five Premier League matches have also shown that the club’s problems extend beyond one position.
The attack has struggled for consistency, the midfield is still searching for the right balance, and defensive mistakes continue to cost the team points.
The 1-1 draw against Fulham was particularly frustrating because Man United created enough opportunities to win the match but needed a late deflected effort from Cunha to avoid another defeat.
The Manchester United signings have therefore provided Carrick with more options, but the manager still needs to find the right way to use them.
The extended international break gives the new arrivals more time to settle and gives Carrick an opportunity to work on the problems that have appeared during the opening weeks.
The Manchester United signings may have strengthened the squad, but the next few months will show whether they have strengthened Old Trafford enough.
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