Man Utd star has four months to save his Old Trafford career

4 Sept 2026 11:54 BST | 4 min read

Michael Carrick, Man Utd, 2026/27 — © IMAGO

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

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Throughout the entire summer transfer window, Manchester United wanted to sign a new left-back.

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It was earmarked as one of their priorities ahead of the 2026-27 campaign and the likes of Lewis Hall, Alejandro Balde and Jorge Salinas were all heavily linked with an Old Trafford switch amid the club’s desire to bolster their backline.

Instead, the club focused on strengthening their midfield unit, having addressed the attack last summer, and they added Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to Michael Carrick’s squad for a combined price of €173.2 million.

Murmurs of a new left-back arriving continued right until Transfer Deadline Day, but the window closed on 1 September without a fresh face joining the full-back ranks.

So, Man Utd will be stuck with Luke Shaw as their only natural option until at least January. Patrick Dorgu, Noussair Mazraoui and Harry Amass are all available to Carrick too, but one is now regarded as an attacker, one is more comfortable on the right and one is an academy product with very few senior appearances under his belt. All that adds up to suggest that Shaw will retain his place for the foreseeable future. That is until the January window opens.

Current ETV

Luke Shaw

D (CL)

Man Utd

Luke Shaw

D (CL)

Man Utd

ETV Range

€8.3M - €11.2M

Luke Shaw has four months to prove himself at Man Utd

Shaw enjoyed an excellent 2025-26 campaign and the fact he remained injury-free for the entire season was seen as a major success given the plethora of fitness issues that he has faced throughout his career at Old Trafford.

However, he is now 31 years old and given Man Utd are now back in the Champions League, it’s asking a lot of him to play two games a week for the next four months. Meanwhile, his form to start this season has been concerning.

Shaw has looked unconvincing against both Hull City and Ipswich Town in the Red Devils’ opening two fixtures of the new Premier League season, and this could soon prove to be an issue for Carrick given his lack of depth at left-back.

In fact, if Shaw is unable to establish himself as a consistent performer over the next four months, Man Utd may have no choice but to dip into the market for a replacement when the winter transfer window opens in January.

The Red Devils have upgraded their attack and midfield in back-to-back years and while they may until next summer before seriously looking to improve their backline, that plan could be accelerated if Shaw continues to underwhelm.

The England star remains excellent on the ball, but his defensive frailties could prevent Carrick’s side from establishing themselves as possible challengers for the Premier League title this term and Shaw therefore must prove his worth before the next transfer window opens in January.

The aforementioned Hall continues to excel at Newcastle United and while the Magpies have no interest in sanctioning a sale, Man Utd will surely be tempted to lodge a formal offer in January if Shaw fails to convince over the coming months.