Tielemans mixed, Santos untapped: How Man Utd's summer signings have fared so far

Analysis

Matthew Judge | Editor

Manchester United have plenty to ponder over the next three weeks as club football pauses for the upcoming international break.

The Red Devils are licking their wounds after a bruising start to the new season has yielded just two wins from seven games.

Performances under Michael Carrick have been a major concern for supporters who - by and large - wanted more signings in the summer.

Speaking of incomings, how have the four players who joined the 20-time league champions performed so far this season?

Here, FootballTransfers takes a look at how those fresh faces have fared in what is still early days in the 2026-27 campaign.

Andrey Santos (€56.3m, Chelsea)

Out of the four signings made by Man Utd in the summer, the one who will be most disappointed with his start to the season is Andrey Santos.

And that is through no fault of his own as Santos has made just two starts for the Old Trafford club so far this season, and five appearances in total.

A surprising signing considering it came from nowhere, United fans very quickly got on board with what appeared to be a shrewd transfer from Chelsea.

Santos was a regular fixture in pre-season, featuring six times for United and expressing his excitement over succeeding Casemiro as the club’s new No. 6.

However, the Brazil international is yet to complete 90 minutes of competitive football for United so far this season.

Santos was hooked after just 67 minutes against Hull City in the Premier League and just 66 minutes against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup.

His best performance came in the loss against Brighton, winning 100 per cent (5/5) of his ground duels and 83 per cent (5/6) of his aerial ones.

Santos, an unused substitute against Manchester City and Fulham, will hope to catch Carrick’s eye by performing well for Brazil over the international break.

Karl Darlow (Free Transfer, Leeds United)

Another United signing looking to dust himself down is goalkeeper Karl Darlow, although for a very different reason to Santos.

A free transfer after leaving Leeds United at the end of last season, Darlow knows he will only receive regular minutes if Senne Lammens suffers an unfortunate injury.

Having said that, the 35-year-old will have hoped to make a couple of appearances in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup this season.

However, United bowed out of the competition at the first time of asking, meaning Darlow is unlikely to feature until the third round of the FA Cup in January.

The Wales international played the full 90 minutes in the loss against Brighton, conceding three goals and making just two saves at Old Trafford.

Darlow could feature in the Champions League if, say, United are in a strong position in the league phase, but that is looking unlikely at the moment.

Carlos Baleba (€75.9m, Brighton and Hove Albion)

United supporters were already keen to see Baleba don the famous red jersey after completing his move from Brighton in August.

But fans are now desperate to see the midfielder introduced into the starting eleven after the international break, given their poor start to the season.

Baleba is yet to feature for his new club as he continues to recover from an ankle injury sustained in pre-season for Brighton.

However, the Cameroon international was on the bench for the 1-1 draw at Fulham last time out - a huge boost for everyone associated with United.

The United fanbase are hoping Baleba can add much-needed energy to a team that has looked lethargic in the early stages of the season.

A classic No. 6 who is adept at intercepting play, Baleba has the tools to aid a United team whose running stats have drawn plenty of criticism.

However, it is worth remembering that Baleba is not only returning from injury but he is not used to playing for a club of United's grandeur.

And so Baleba will probably need time to overcome the butterflies that are likely to float in his stomach while he regains his fitness.

Youri Tielemans (€41m, Aston Villa)

Another United signing that came out of the blue was Youri Tielemans, who had a secret €41million (£35m) released clause lurking in his Aston Villa contract.

With bags of experience at Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and international level, Tielemans was rightly hailed as a smart acquisition.

However, the Belgium captain has naturally come in for a little bit of criticism given the worrying displays produced by United this season.

The 29-year-old has featured in all seven games for United this season, recording assists in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

But Tielemans was also at the scene of the devastating home losses to Man City in the derby and Brighton in the League Cup.

Some fans have expressed concern over whether Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo have what it takes to form a successful double pivot behind Bruno Fernandes.

However, there is one statistic which will give those doubters something to think about and it relates to Tielemans’ passing in the middle of the park.

Tielemans is currently registering 22.5 line-breaking passes per 90 minutes - which is the second highest in the Premier League behind Elliot Anderson (22.8).

There are many who have already taken notice...

And so Carrick will be looking for his United attackers to produce more goals from Tielemans’ incisive passing when they return to action after the international break.

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Written by

Matthew Judge | Editor

Matthew Judge is a freelance sports writer from Liverpool, United Kingdom. He has worked for/had words published by WSL Football (WSL & WSL2), Everton Football Club, The Independent, Daily Mirror, Stats Perform, Goal and Squawka, among others.

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