Ranking every central midfielder Man Utd have signed since Michael Carrick retired | OneFootball

Michael Carrick is now in the dugout at Manchester United, but they have struggled to replace him on the pitch since his retirement.

United have signed Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa this summer for a combined £85million and are still in the market for another midfielder.

We’ve ranked every other central midfielder United have bought since Carrick hung up his boots in 2018.

Note: we’ve not included players who have mainly played as attacking midfielders, which rules out Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Donny van de Beek.

6. Manuel Ugarte

United pursued Ugarte throughout the summer of 2024 and eventually agreed a deal with PSG on transfer deadline day, paying an initial £42.3million and another £8.5million in potential add-ons.

The Uruguay international arrived at Old Trafford with a reputation as one of the best ball-winning midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

But he still struggled to adapt to the increased pace and physicality of English football, while his limitations on the ball have also been exposed.

“Ugarte is not a Manchester United midfielder in a million years,” Nicky Butt said. “Not in a million years he’s a Man United midfielder.

“That’s just one example of the recruitment and how they keep getting it wrong. They keep getting it wrong all the time with the players they’re bringing in and that’s a fact.”

He has also failed to impress Carrick, making just one start and six substitute appearances under the United manager in the second half of the 2025-26 season.

The 25-year-old is one of United’s worst modern-era signings and they were looking to offload him this summer, but he suffered a knee ligament injury at the World Cup and is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

5. Marcel Sabitzer

An injury to Christian Eriksen saw United dip into the transfer market in January 2023 to sign Sabitzer from Bayern Munich on a six-month loan deal.

The Austria international proved to be a useful if unremarkable squad player, making 11 starts and seven substitute appearances across all competitions.

He did show flashes of his talent, scoring a cheeky backheel against Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-final and a double in the Europa League quarter-final first-leg clash with Sevilla.

A meniscus injury brought his loan stint to a premature end, and United decided not to sign the midfielder on a permanent deal.

4. Sofyan Amrabat

Amrabat shot to prominence after starring in Morocco’s run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals and helping Fiorentina to the 2022-23 Conference League final.

United then paid a £8.5million fee to sign the midfielder on a season-long loan deal, which also included an option to buy for £21.4million.

He initially filled in at left-back due to an injury crisis and was given limited game time in defensive midfield, starting just 13 games for United in his favoured position.

One of those starts came in the 2024 FA Cup final, and the Morocco international produced his best performance in a United shirt to help Erik ten Hag’s side secure a 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

But it wasn’t enough to make United trigger the option to buy, and he left Old Trafford after the expiration of his loan deal.

3. Fred

Following Carrick’s retirement in 2018, United needed to reinforce their options in central midfield and they forked out £52million to sign Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Brazil international wasn’t a like-for-like replacement for Carrick, and he endured a difficult debut campaign at Old Trafford.

But he turned his United career around and became a key player under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had Carrick on his coaching staff.

“It’s more his mentality and his attitude,” Carrick said in 2021 when asked about Fred. “And how he is as a person, as much as the footballer, which I greatly admire.

“He’s always there, he always puts himself up there ready for the challenge and he loves the big games and there’s a lot to admire about that.”

The combative midfielder still divided opinion among United fans and his partnership with Scott McTominay – dubbed ‘McFred’ – was an easy scapegoat during difficult times at Old Trafford.

He completed a permanent move to Fenerbahce in the summer of 2023, having made 213 appearances and won one Carabao Cup in his five-year spell at United.

2. Christian Eriksen

United held a long-standing interest in Eriksen and jumped at the opportunity to sign him on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 following his six-month spell at Brentford.

Despite playing as an attacking midfielder throughout most of his senior career, he was used in a deeper role under Erik ten Hag.

The Denmark international added more technical ability to the midfield and made an immediate impact, registering nine assists in his first 31 appearances for the club.

An ankle injury in an FA Cup win over Reading disrupted his progress, and teams eventually began to exploit his lack of pace in the middle of the park.

Kobbie Mainoo’s emergence at the start of the 2023-24 season also pushed him down the pecking order, and he remained an unused substitute in the 2024 FA Cup final and the 2025 Europa League final.

The midfielder was allowed to leave Old Trafford following the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2024-25 season. Still, not a bad signing for a free transfer.

1. Casemiro

After spending the whole 2022 summer transfer window chasing Frenkie de Jong, United finally admitted defeat and switched their attention to Casemiro.

They paid an initial £60million and another £10million in add-ons for the then-Real Madrid man, while also giving him a £350,000-per-week contract.

He enjoyed an excellent debut season and scored the opening goal in the 2023 Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle, helping the club end a six-year trophy drought.

His form nosedived in a disastrous second campaign, and it prompted questions over whether he could still cope with the demands of top-level football.

But the Brazil international silenced his critics by playing an integral role in United’s run to the 2025 Europa League final, before helping a Carrick-led side finish third in the Premier League in 2025-26.

“Case has had an influence within the group,” Carrick said. “He’s got huge experience. He’s a big player who has achieved an awful lot in the game. I have to say since I’ve arrived, he’s given everything he could possibly give.”

His contract expired at the end of the 2025-26 season, and the 34-year-old received a standing ovation from the Old Trafford faithful on his 160th and final United appearance.

While his four-year spell can definitely be viewed as a mixed bag, the brilliant start and the strong finish put him at the top of this ranking.