Jamie Carragher Questions Manchester United's Transfer Strategy

Jamie Carragher has questioned Manchester United’s summer business, casting doubt on both the timing of Youri Tielemans’ arrival and the club’s decision to walk away from Mateus Fernandes.

The Belgian midfielder completed a £35m switch from Aston Villa to Old Trafford last month, signing a five-year deal and being positioned as a central figure in Michael Carrick’s midfield rebuild. For Carragher, though, the move feels back to front.

Speaking on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet, the former Liverpool defender described the moment his unease crystallised while flicking between games.

He had been watching the UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa when Tielemans went across to take a corner. At the same time, Manchester United were on ITV facing Leeds.

"It just came to me a little bit – Tielemans was taking a corner, and it come to me, he’s a good player, don’t get me wrong," Carragher said. "But you’d almost feel like he should have been at United a few years ago, then gone to Villa – not being at Villa, then gone to United.

"I’m not saying he’s had his best days, but it almost felt like the wrong way round. The last three years should have been at United, and then he gets sold to Villa."

That sense of misalignment extended beyond Tielemans. Carragher was just as critical of United’s failure to land Mateus Fernandes, who instead completed a headline move to Tottenham Hotspur.

United had held talks with West Ham over the Portuguese midfielder but stepped back when confronted with an £85m price tag. Spurs did not hesitate and moved in to close the deal.

Carragher admitted he was taken aback by United’s reluctance to push harder for a player of Fernandes’ profile.

"I was a little bit worried when I saw United linked with Fernandes because I thought that could be a good signing," he said. "I just looked at him and his age and was surprised United didn’t go for Fernandes.

"They said it was too expensive but was it that expensive? I know £85m is a lot but you’re never going to get a really top midfielder now for £50m."

If Carragher’s focus was on missed opportunities, Paul Scholes’ concern lay with what still needs fixing.

The United legend underlined that, even with Tielemans through the door and attacking options bolstered, the squad feels light in key areas as the transfer window ticks down.

"A priority position for United... think of a position where it’s needed most," Scholes said. "We’ve got players who can cover the forward areas – I think [Matheus] Cunha can play centre-forward, and [Bryan] Mbeumo can play centre-forward. And you’ve still got – I don’t know what’s going to happen with Marcus Rashford, but again, there’s another option in that area. I still think either centre-half or central midfielder is a priority."

So the questions stack up. Have United signed the right midfielder, at the right time, for the right price? Or have they once again hesitated at the top end of the market while rivals took bolder swings?

Those debates will follow Carrick’s side into the opening weekend, as the Red Devils host newly-promoted Hull City on Saturday. Tielemans will walk out at Old Trafford as the emblem of a new-look midfield.

Now he has to show Carragher – and plenty of others – that United’s timing is not as wrong as it looks.