Man Utd set to miss three transfer targets as window closes with Zirkzee and Ugarte stuck

Manchester United are set to end the summer transfer window having failed to meet three of their key objectives, with Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte likely to remain at Old Trafford despite being earmarked for exits, and a left-back signing looking increasingly unlikely.

The club spent £155m on midfield reinforcements under manager Michael Carrick, bringing in Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, Andrey Santos from Chelsea, and Carlos Baleba from Brighton — the latter having been on United’s radar last summer before they were priced out. The arrivals give Carrick a deep midfield pool alongside Kobbie Mainoo, but that very depth has created a logjam for players further down the pecking order.

Zirkzee, who started just five Premier League games last season after the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko last summer, was expected to move on before the deadline. A loan to Juventus broke down late in negotiations, while Napoli — where Zirkzee first made his name in Italy with Bologna — expressed interest but no deal was concluded. The Dutchman now appears set to stay in Manchester with minimal prospects of regular game time.

Ugarte’s situation is different in cause but similar in outcome. The Uruguayan was considered surplus to requirements given United’s new midfield depth, but a knee ligament injury sustained at the World Cup has disrupted plans to sell him, leaving the club with little option but to retain him through his recovery.

The third unresolved area is at left-back. Luke Shaw, now in his 30s, remains the first-choice option despite showing vulnerabilities — including being caught out for Ipswich’s opener at the weekend. United had identified Newcastle’s Lewis Hall as a target, but Newcastle, having already lost Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer, have refused to sell further key assets, and the fee would likely have exceeded United’s available budget in any case. Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde was also considered, though no move progressed.

The outcome leaves Carrick with a well-stocked midfield and a formidable attack capable of troubling top sides, but a squad carrying two players with no clear pathway to minutes and a positional gap at left-back that will head into the new season unaddressed.