The signing of Carlos Baleba completes a £155m summer revamp of Manchester United's midfield. At the end of last season, midfield was targeted as a priority area as United looked to build on qualification for the Champions League after a two-year absence. Baleba arrives along with Andrey Santos, a £48m signing from Chelsea, and £35m former Aston Villa man Youri Tielemans.
It means that, along with England's Kobbie Mainoo, United now have a spread of different attributes across their four-man midfield, three of whom are 22 or younger. But, at Manchester United, one bad result brings intense pressure. Even Michael Carrick's calm exterior cracked in a post-match exchange with former Middlesbrough and Swindon Town forward Jan Aage Fjortoft, now a TV presenter for Viaplay, following the shock defeat at Hull when the Norwegian suggested there was a lack of passion in United's ranks.
"Come on, that's ridiculous," replied Carrick. That's a ridiculous thing to say." So, now the midfield is sorted, it is natural for fans to look at the other areas of Carrick's squad that could do with reinforcements; namely left-back. Baleba completes £70m Man Utd move from Brighton Signing an additional left-back has looked an obvious thing for Manchester United to do.
Luke Shaw started all 38 Premier League games last season. Of United's past 44 league games, the 31-year-old England international has failed to start just one, the final game of the 2024-25 campaign, four days after the Europa League final defeat by Tottenham – and he went on the post-season tour of Asia immediately afterwards. But, before that, Shaw's injury record had not been great.
Between February 2024 and April 2025, he played as many games for England (three) as he did for his club. He missed three months at the start of the 2023-24 campaign. There were calf and hamstring issues but also a feeling Erik ten Hag rushed him back too quickly.
More than anyone, Shaw benefited from a 40-game season, allowing him to prepare properly, largely for one game a week, sometimes not even that. That preparation time will not be repeated. Although there are blank midweeks between Manchester United's first three games, if they get through two EFL Cup rounds, they will not have a full midweek without a game, other than during international breaks, until the one that includes Christmas Day.
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