Man United transfer news: Michael Carrick "disappointed" after AC Milan loss but makes promise to fans before Premier League

Michael Carrick has insisted his side will be ready for the start of the Premier League season despite losing 4-2 to AC Milan on Saturday.

The Red Devils played their final game of pre-season against AC Milan, who are led by former United boss Ruben Amorim.

However, current manager Carrick saw his side slump to a 4-2 defeat, and while the game's result was ultimately meaningless, further concerns about the strength of the club's squad have been raised.

Speaking to reporters in the aftermath of the loss, the head coach admitted he was disappointed by the performance, but insisted his side will be ready for the coming campaign, saying: "I think there are a lot of positives to take from [pre-season].

"The group has grown and got stronger. We were disappointed with today. We did not play well today. There are reasons for that. We need to learn from it and improve.

"We have a good squad. We've had a good week's training this week to get some more work in. We'll be ready for next week."

United will begin their Premier League seasons on August 22 against Hull City at the MKM Stadium, so the Red Devils will still be seen as overwhelming favourites in their opening match.

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United may have already signed two midfielders this summer, but they are still in desperate need of further reinforcements in that area.

Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos are two of only three senior options for Carrick after Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious injury at the World Cup.

There are also concerns about Tielemans given he is set to embark upon his 14th season in professional football at the age of 29, while Kobbie Mainoo has never started more than 25 league games for the Red Devils.

The added workload of Champions League football will test United's squad much more than in 2025-26, and it is fair to argue that they are not in the best shape ahead of 2026-27.

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A midfielder in the mould of either Manu Kone or Carlos Baleba would be welcome, though the latter is set to miss a few weeks of action due to injury.

However, United have also been linked with left-backs this summer, and that comes as no surprise considering the inconsistencies of Luke Shaw.

Newcastle United defender Lewis Hall has been touted as a target, but it is unclear at this stage as to whether the Magpies would be willing to sanction yet another exit.