Michael Carrick’s first pre-season as Manchester United head coach has largely been positive, with new players making a good impression, nearly a fully healthy squad, and fluid football on display.

But United’s performance against AC Milan was a reminder of the improvements that still need to be made, especially if Carrick and his players are to turn their words about doing “something special” into reality.

The fact this 4-2 defeat came against a team managed by Ruben Amorim, using the system that proved an ill fit at United, only added sharper focus to that perspective. Amorim was searching for his first win in charge of Milan after two draws and a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, but his side blew United away in the second half at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw.

Samuel Chukwueze, who spent last season on loan at Fulham, repeatedly found joy when getting forwards from his position at right wing-back. He set up Alphadjo Cisse and Goncalo Ramos by crossing with his left foot when found via a quick switch of play that allowed him yards of space to run into.

On each occasion Luke Shaw, shuffling across to cover, was unable to close him down to stop the cross. While that is partly a system issue, with Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 designed to get overloads on the flanks, it feeds into the ongoing consideration United are putting into the next signing in the market.

Michael Carrick has been clear he needs more players (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Carrick wants more players, that much was clear from his interview with the media in Dublin, and left-back is the prime position on the agenda. Shaw was excellent last season, starting all 38 Premier League games, but he will not play two games a week consistently, which is why United have looked at Lewis Hall, Myles Lewis-Skelly and others.

Shaw played the entire 90 minutes against Milan, his first full game of pre-season, and undoubtedly the 34-degree heat played a part in a low-energy second half from United in general. Players also wanted to avoid injury a week ahead of the Premier League starting.

But having genuine competition for Shaw, given United are back in the Champions League, would surely be prudent.

Milan’s final goal also came down United’s left, but Lisandro Martinez was the player most caught out. Shaw was coming back after advancing upfield, so it was Martinez who was up against Ruben Loftus-Cheek as he burst clear following a one-two with Ramos. Loftus-Cheek left Martinez in his wake and calmly finished past Senne Lammens. Martinez was making his first appearance since returning after reaching the final of the World Cup and it showed in that move.

Ayden Heaven is Martinez’s rival for that left centre-half spot, and he is primed to start against Hull City as Martinez works his way to full match fitness, while Shaw will play at left-back. Whether Carrick will have an alternative option he feels he can genuinely consider — with Harry Amass still developing at 19 — by the time the window closes remains to be seen. Amass is talented, but the club are considering a loan to get him regular minutes.

Amorim’s presence as Carrick’s final opposing manager of pre-season gave a certain irony to this whole conversation, a reminder of how United did sign a player of that ilk 18 months ago. Patrick Dorgu was brought in to fit Amorim’s system though, more attacking than a traditional full-back and deemed, so far, to be a left winger by Carrick.

Amorim was backed last summer through the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, then United went further than anticipated by pouncing for Benjamin Sesko too – acutely conscious of the need to add goals to the team. Those three arrived on transfers worth around £207million. So far, under Carrick, United have committed £85m to incomings.

Ruben Amorim’s Milan exploited Manchester United’s weaknesses in the second half (Sergei GAPON / AFP via Getty Images)

Conversely, by finishing 15th, Amorim got greater resources than Carrick has enjoyed for coming third, securing the Champions League revenue that is so crucial to United’s operation. That could shift with a little more than a fortnight left of the window, but United are giving a strong impression spending will continue to be disciplined.

Carrick knows, of course, that coaching can also change the picture. He is giving his players Monday off before getting back to work at Carrington. “Five days of training in different ways,” he said. “Sometimes a little bit harder, sometimes a bit more of recovery. But we’ll work through the week and be better for it. We’re looking forward to it.”

As far as Carrick’s predecessor is concerned, here was a full stop to his United story. Despite issues between Amorim and his players at times during his tenure, many of them acknowledged their former manager after the game, with Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee in the first group to hug him after the trophy presentation.

Jason Wilcox, United’s director of football, had shaken Amorim’s hand in the tunnel before kick-off, seven months on from Amorim bringing their relationship into the spotlight following an explosive row behind the scenes over the formation.

After a draw at Leeds in January, Amorim said: “I came here to be the manager of Manchester United — not to be the coach of Manchester United. Every department, the scouting department, the sporting director, needs to do their job.”

Amorim was much happier in the bowels of the Tarczynski Arena as he signed autographs and posed for pictures with United fans in the mixed zone. He then referenced his tendency for unpredictable moments in press conferences when spotting familiar faces among the group of journalists. Amorim asked if he was missed. “We miss your press conferences,” came the reply.

“More boring now,” he laughed.

It was a joke aimed at himself rather than a dig at Carrick, whose calm, measured approach has restored order at United. Carrick’s record since replacing Amorim is the best in the Premier League.

But Amorim’s friendly win was a timely warning that United cannot rely solely on more magic from Carrick with the players he currently has.

The new Premier League season begins in five days and there are plenty of new faces — and familiar ones in new shirts — to look out for.

There are still two weeks of the transfer window remaining, but even before any late drama the business so far has presented plenty to excite fans.

From the England internationals stepping up to new challenges to the youngsters arriving in the division for the first time, here are some of the most exciting signings to look out for when the action begins…

Ousmane Diomande, Sporting CP to Nottingham Forest

He shares parts of his name with a Ballon d’Or-winning forward Ousmane Dembele and the other with his international team-mate and new Real Madrid winger Yan Diomande, but Nottingham Forest’s latest acquisition is unlikely to be making his mark on the opposition goal. Instead, the 22-year-old, acquired for €40m (£34m) from Sporting CP in Portugal, is the statement defensive signing of Forest’s new Oliver Glasner era.

Glasner was also interested in Diomande at Crystal Palace, and has now secured his services to complete his back-three formation at the City Ground. Kristian Kjaer, technical director of Diomande’s former club FC Midtjylland, highlighted Diomande’s “pace, his size, his strength, his athleticism and the fact he’s also good on the ball” in an interview with The Athletic.

(Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Diomande was named in the Primeira Liga team of the year in both 2023-24 and 2024-25 while at Sporting.

Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa to Chelsea

Rogers is not a new name to Premier League fans — or defenders.

The 24-year-old was one of the key figures of Aston Villa’s rise under Unai Emery, signing in 2024 and helping them qualify for the Champions League twice and win the Europa League last season. In spite of the promise of European football at Villa Park, though, he has taken his attacking talents to Chelsea — for a club-record £117m ($158.3m) fee.

Leaving Villa to become the marquee signing of Chelsea’s rebuild under Xabi Alonso is a risk — but Rogers is not afraid of those. He is brave on the ball, audacious in his finishing, and entering the prime years of his career.

This move will see him link up with long-time friend and former Manchester City academy team-mate Cole Palmer, and if Alonso can get the best out of that partnership, it is one of the most intimidating in the division.

Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers getting their reps in ⚽️🎯

🎥 via @ChelseaFC @DAZNFootball | #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/Gg9l8qqXOh

— DAZN (@DAZN) August 14, 2026

There were positive signs on his debut on Saturday against Real Sociedad, too, as Rogers scored the opening goal in a 3-1 win for Alonso’s side at Stamford Bridge.

Mamadou Sangare, Lens to Brentford

Chelsea’s west London neighbours Brentford also broke their club record for a midfielder this summer.

While Rogers is a proven gamechanger in the Premier League, Mamadou Sangare, arriving from Lens for €48m (£41m), will make his debut in England after taking Ligue 1 by storm.

Sangare was one of the core players of the Lens side who pushed Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain hard for the French title last season, eventually coming up six points short.

(Sameer Al-DOUMY / AFP via Getty Images)

He has now joined Brentford to fill the midfield gap left by Jordan Henderson, who has moved to Chelsea. Sangare is an athletic midfielder, described by sporting director Markus Katzer from his former club Rapid Vienna as “a mix between a six and an eight.”

“He’s technically very strong, he can dribble and he can always find solutions in really, really tight spaces. And then how he wins balls is his biggest strength,” Katzer told The Athletic. “He was crazy about getting better, he was addicted to it.”

Sangare is not the finished product, but Brentford’s track record of finding and polishing young players with high potential casts this move in a promising light.

Like Rogers for Chelsea, he was also among the goals this weekend, scoring in Brentford’s 7-0 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Mateus Fernandes, West Ham United to Tottenham Hotspur

After standing out in two relegated Premier League sides (Southampton in 2024-25 and West Ham United in 2025-26), this was the summer for the 22-year-old to take the next step in his career — and Tottenham Hotspur have bet on his potential to translate that into their new-look midfield, to the tune of a guaranteed £85m.

Spurs saw off interest from Manchester United to bring the Portugal international across London from West Ham, as part of a heavy-spending rebuild as they look to recover from two seasons flirting with the relegation zone.

At West Ham, Fernandes enhanced his reputation as a player who can not only drive his team forward but also play a key role out of possession, defending on the front foot.

Going forward, he gave Tottenham fans a glimpse of his long-range shooting with a sublime volley in pre-season against MK Dons.

Fernandes was one of the most attractive midfield prospects in the league heading into this summer, and now has the opportunity to hit new heights in a team that has spent lavishly.

Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle United to Arsenal

After a protracted summer saga — and even before that, a long-time admiration for the player from Mikel Arteta — Bruno Guimaraes is an Arsenal player.

He is another star who needs little introduction to Premier League fans. Newcastle’s talismanic captain, who guided them to their first major domestic silverware in 70 years, has made his name as a combative and creative all-round midfielder. It is hard to think of many more current Premier League players who have been as pivotal and influential for their sides.

How will that translate into his arrival at an already-winning team? Guimaraes does not need to be a talisman at Arsenal in the same way as he did at Newcastle, but that does not diminish his importance. His characteristics fit well with Arsenal’s style, he brings leadership, and he can help take the burden off a fatigued-looking Declan Rice.

Guimaraes’ arrival takes Arsenal’s midfield from impressive to seriously intimidating.

James Trafford, Manchester City to Leeds United

That Trafford would look to depart City, his boyhood club, this summer was expected. It is the size of the fee that has surprised some. The deal to take him to Leeds United is worth more than £40m — making them the only team in the Premier League whose record signing is a goalkeeper.

On paper, it is a huge outlay for a keeper who was second-choice last season — but had it not been for the last-minute arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Etihad last summer, Trafford may well have been No 1. He is seen by many as the successor to Jordan Pickford in England’s goal, and a new ‘keeper is a welcome sight at Elland Road after the struggles of Illan Meslier and then Lucas Perri.

(Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)

Trafford is a strong shot-stopper, comfortable on the ball and advancing out of his box, and impressed on his debut against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly at Croke Park. This move is not only an exciting one for Leeds fans, but also for England supporters who will be keen to see how Trafford adapts to the stage he has been waiting for.

Johan Manzambi, Freiburg to Aston Villa

It was his sparkling performances for Switzerland at the World Cup that drew attention from the wider public, but had been eyed by clubs since well before that. After a tussle with Newcastle United, Manzambi has chosen Aston Villa as his next destination, where the midfield is opening up for him to take centre stage.

The 20-year-old’s delightful run to set up Switzerland’s opening goal against Algeria at the World Cup, on their way to a last-32 win, was a highlights-reel moment, as was his brace against Bosnia & Herzegovina. That tournament boosted his profile to the public — but Villa boss Unai Emery had already been hooked during pre-match analysis before facing Manzambi’s Freiburg in the Europa League final.

(Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Manzambi is seen as dynamic, energetic, a strong ball-carrier and importantly, versatile. He is a flexible option in the midfield, capable of either being part of the pivot or further forward in a role similar to the one Rogers has vacated. The departures of Rogers and Youri Tielemans, and injuries to Amadou Onana and new signing Joao Gomes, mean the youngster could immediately star as prominently for his new club as he did for his country this summer.

Daizen Maeda, Celtic to Ipswich Town

If you don’t know Maeda’s name or face, you’ll know his most famous goal: a stunning looped overhead kick against Rangers in May. That goal for Celtic not only helped secure a win against their biggest rivals, but also helped them over the line to clinch the Scottish Premiership title by two points.

🔥 DAIZEN MAEDA WITH AN OVERHEAD KICK!

Celtic with a two-goal cushion over Rangers, and it comes in SPECTACULAR fashion ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/EZgSda8fYm

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) May 10, 2026

Now, after four and a half years at Celtic, the 28-year-old has joined newly promoted Ipswich Town for his first taste of Premier League football. He has played in various forward positions across his career and catches the eye not only for that iconic goal (one of 79 he scored in 212 games for Celtic, which also included the winning goal in last season’s final-day title decider against Hearts) but also his out-of-possession attributes.

Maeda has earned a reputation for relentless pressing and work rate. According to FIFA’s data, he recorded 78 sprints in Japan’s World Cup last-32 defeat to Brazil — the most of any player in the match.

Geovany Quenda, Sporting CP to Chelsea

Before a drive for experience and maturity became the focus of this summer, Chelsea’s penchant for snapping up young talents was in full swing last year — and Quenda was one of those high-potential buys, having agreed a deal in 2025 and now joined up with his new team.

The 19-year-old rose through the ranks at Sporting CP and has already shown his versatility and skill. Having played as a winger when young, he adapted impressively to a wing-back role under Ruben Amorim and could play the same role for Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso. He impressed on his debut on the club’s pre-season tour in Hong Kong, and while exactly how Alonso used each of his stacked squad remains to be seen, as The Athletic have reported, Quenda will be around the first team rather than going out on loan.

(Boris Streubel – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The youngster has been preparing rigorously. During his rehabilitation from a foot injury sustained last December, he visited London and used Chelsea’s training ground, and undertook a programme of nutrition and muscle development aimed to prepare him for Premier League football. It has been a long wait for Chelsea fans to see him in action, and they will hope he is in a position to show off his enormous potential straight away.

Elliot Anderson, Nottingham Forest to Manchester City

It was one of the earliest major moves of the summer in the Premier League, and remains one of the most important.

Manchester City have fallen from their perch as perennial winners over the past two seasons, and to restore that they need to bring their midfield engine room back to its best.

Enter Elliot Anderson (and perhaps a few others).

City moved decisively to secure an agreement with Nottingham Forest for Anderson at the beginning of July. The £116m paid to Forest — a club record for City — reflects the faith they have in Anderson to add the athleticism and physicality they need.

(Cody Froggatt/PA Images via Getty Images)

As he showed at Forest, Anderson is capable of being the keystone of a Premier League side: involved across the pitch, crucial in and out of possession, and physically robust enough to handle the dual burden of domestic and European games.

In a side peppered with other world-class players, how high is his ceiling?

Jeremy Jacquet, Rennes to Liverpool

Liverpool have considerable work to do this window, but one key piece of the puzzle was oven-ready, in the form of 21-year-old Jacquet.

The Merseysiders agreed a deal in the winter window with Rennes for Jacquet to join this summer, seeing off competition from Chelsea, for an initial £55m plus up to £5m in add-ons.

(SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP via Getty Images)

The rationale is clear: alongside Giovanni Leoni, Jacquet can be one-half of the succession plan to the legendary duo of Virgil van Dijk (who is entering the final season of his contract) and Konate (who has left as a free agent).

Jacquet profiles as a front-footed, aggressive defender, strong one-on-one, and comfortable on the ball. He will need refining — but the news that he is finally expected to be available for Liverpool’s final pre-season game against Como, having missed all the other summer fixtures through injury, means his Anfield career can finally begin.

Brian Madjo, Metz to Aston Villa

There are few better ways to announce your arrival at a new club than a goal against the champions of Europe, and that is how 17-year-old Madjo launched his Aston Villa career against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.

He has been made to wait. Having been signed in January, and impressed in pre-season, complications with his registration meant he was set to be blocked from featuring in competitive games until his 18th birthday in January 2027. A Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling eventually removed that barrier in August — and against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg, he took full advantage.

Madjo’s goal, ultimately in a 2-1 loss, was the reward for a performance in which he dominated against a centre-back pairing of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho. The potential that convinced Aston Villa to bet on a young, raw talent was clear.

Brian Madjo at 17-years-old scores in the UEFA Super Cup Final 🤯

📺 TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/PccX7FxjAr

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 12, 2026

INCREDIBLE MOMENT FOR BRIAN MADJO 🤯

The 17-year-old striker equalizes for Aston Villa against the back-to-back Champions League winners PSG 🦁

Stream PSG vs. Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup on @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/9K9Rl8Qk9D

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 12, 2026

The teenager is not going to displace Ollie Watkins as Villa’s first-choice striker just yet, certainly not as he is now expected to miss out until at least September through injury — but if the first impression he made against PSG is anything to go by, he could be set for a breakout season.

Donald is hoping to be part of a successful Trent Rockets side in front of a capacity crowd in London.

“It’s going to be exciting to roll out in Lord’s in front of a full crowd in a final,” he said.

“Lifting a trophy would be a huge moment. For myself and my career, it’d be up there.

“I want to try and soak the day in, because they come and go quickly and careers are short.”

Donald was picked up in the auction by Trent Rockets and experienced a successful T20 Blast campaign with Derbyshire.

He was the sixth highest runs scorer with 489 in the tournament, but it was his astonishing strike of 230 that stood out.

“It’s an obvious strength of mine, and this format is compressed even more,” said Donald.

“It’s more important you’re efficient with your balls and that’s something that seems to have worked over the past few years.

“The format is different for the players, probably more so than people realise because it is so much faster.”

After being forced to wait his chance with the Rockets’ international line-up, Donald came in for injured England batter Tom Banton and kept up that strike rate when Rockets topped the table.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to get a chance, which is difficult with these teams,” said Donald.

“To be able to have played a small part in this and feel I’ve finally put my stamp at this level has been important.

“I’m lucky to have landed at Trent Rockets, it’s an unbelievable place to be involved.

“It is tough to get in the side and hold a spot down, but when you get a chance you’re desperate to take it with both hands.

“As you go up the levels, you’ve got to take opportunities you get.

“I feel like I’ve been around the block a bit. I’m probably in the best position to kind of cope with that and be ready for my chance.”

Donald knows he is in his position because of his county career.

“I love Derbyshire and it’s nice to feel settled, they’ve been amazing since I moved there,” said Donald.

“My game has gone from strength to strength and I’ve got a lot to thank Mickey Arthur (director of cricket) and the club for.

“I feel so valued. Getting the opportunity to captain in white ball cricket is a massive feather in my cap and something I always wanted to do.”