Man Utd transfer blunder: Carrick rues major summer mistake

Updated: 23 Aug 2026 16:11 BST | 4 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

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Manchester United opted against signing Mamadou Sangare earlier this summer and it’s a decision that has already aged extremely poorly after just one Premier League match.

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The Mali international was one of the best central midfielders in Europe last term, earning a place in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season thanks to his exploits for RC Lens, and his form subsequently led to significant interest from Liverpool and Man Utd.

The Premier League giants were both heavily linked with a move in the French press, but they opted against launching a formal approach and this enabled Brentford to swoop with a club-record bid worth €48 million.

Current ETV

Mamadou Sangaré

M (C)

Brentford

Mamadou Sangaré

M (C)

Brentford

ETV Range

€11M - €13.4M

Sangare was signed as a replacement for Jordan Henderson, who joined Chelsea on a free transfer, and his Premier League debut in a Brentford shirt couldn’t have gone much better.

The 24-year-old was the standout player during Brentford’s eye-catching 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening, earning the Man of the Match award following a stellar display in which he provided a fantastic assist for Keane Lewis-Potter’s opening goal and ran the show in midfield.

Man Utd rue Mamadou Sangare transfer blunder

Faced up against €108m Spurs signing Sandro Tonali, Sangare was undoubtedly the better performer on Saturday, and his display proved just why Man Utd should’ve taken the risk on a move this summer.

The Red Devils had identified Sangare as a possible signing, amid their pursuit of a replacement for Casemiro, but they were ultimately unwilling to sign a player without Premier League experience and they instead brought in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, with a deal for Carlos Baleba also now finalised.

While Sangare lapped up the appreciation of the Brentford crowd following a debut to remember, Man Utd’s summer signings toiled in a hugely disappointing 2-0 defeat to newly-promoted Hull City.

Santos and Tielemans were unable to deal with Hull’s speed in transition and although Man Utd were ultimately undone by two set-piece goals, they were fortunate that several dangerous counter-attacks didn’t result in further woes.

The signing of Baleba, which is expected to be announced shortly, will certainly ease Man Utd’s midfield concerns, but it was a worrying first performance from Santos and Tielemans, and further proof that signing both of them was perhaps an oversight in judgement.

In Kobbie Mainoo, Santos and Tielemans, Man Utd have three central midfielders who are excellent in possession, but susceptible to being beaten in transition due to their lack of mobility. They are all superb players, however they have all been partnered with a more physically-dominant midfielder during their Premier League careers to date and there will be huge pressure on Baleba to fulfil this role once his transfer is confirmed.

Mamadou Sangaré. That is all. pic.twitter.com/iQwIHd6hif
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 22, 2026

On Saturday, Michael Carrick will certainly have learned that a midfield pairing of Santos and Tielemans isn’t ideal against a counter-attacking team, and considering Man Utd have three possession-first midfielders and only one mobile option (Baleba), this could become a recurring trend in 2026-27.

Baleba looks like the only suitable partner for all of Man Utd’s other midfielders and a better solution would’ve been to build a squad with two mobile options, who also possess quality on the ball, to balance out Mainoo and either Santos or Tielemans.

Sangare would’ve been perfect for this role and considering he was cheaper than Santos, Man Utd may already be ruing their decision to avoid a transfer following his display versus Spurs and the Red Devils’ all-round performance against Hull.