Meulensteen backs Man City's midfield rebuild but warns United's defence could cost them in derby

Former Manchester United assistant coach Rene Meulensteen has backed Manchester City’s summer midfield rebuild while warning that United’s defensive frailty — six goals conceded in their opening 270 minutes of Premier League football — could prove costly in today’s Old Trafford derby.

The Manchester derby has taken on an added dimension after both clubs overhauled their midfields during the transfer window. City committed an eye-watering sum to the task, spending a joint-British record £125m on Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea and a further £116m on Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with 18-year-old Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi also arriving for £86m. Those arrivals came at the cost of Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez.

Meulensteen, who served as Sir Alex Ferguson’s right-hand man for six years, believes City have managed the loss of Rodri as well as could be expected. “When you lose someone like Rodri, you obviously miss a very important player. He is extremely difficult to replace, and he’s done a fantastic job for City over the years,” he said. “That said, I think they’ve brought in two really good midfielders in Anderson and Enzo. Anderson is a very dynamic box-to-box player with lots of energy, and Enzo is someone Enzo Maresca knows well from his time working with him at Chelsea. They’ve bought well and replaced him well.”

United spent £155m of their own on midfield reinforcements, bringing in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba to complement Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes under manager Michael Carrick. Meulensteen believes the business has left the Red Devils stronger than they were a year ago. “Securing Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba gives Michael Carrick far more options in that engine room,” he said. “Tielemans brings proven Premier League experience and intelligence, while Kobbie Mainoo did very well under Carrick last season — he is certainly not someone you can directly bypass.”

He did, however, note that Baleba remains short of full fitness, adding a caveat to his optimism about United’s depth. The more pressing concern heading into the derby, though, is at the other end of the pitch. Meulensteen pointed to United’s record of six goals conceded in three league games as a vulnerability that City — even in a period of transition — will be well-placed to exploit at Old Trafford.