United could land Inter's Dimarco on a free but face a summer wait to fix left-back gap

Manchester United closed the summer transfer window without signing a left-back, leaving manager Michael Carrick short of cover for Luke Shaw as the club returns to Champions League football this season.

United held interest in Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, but both targets proved unavailable. A move for Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde was also explored without result. Deadline day passed on Tuesday with the position still unaddressed.

Carrick has options in theory — Patrick Dorgu has been used further forward, 19-year-old Harry Amass is considered too inexperienced, and right-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are the only other senior full-backs at the club — but none represent a natural solution on the left.

Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco has emerged as a potential answer, albeit one that requires patience. The Italy international’s contract at Inter expires in 2027, meaning he could enter the final six months of his deal in January and become eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club. A cut-price January transfer is also possible if Inter prefer a fee over losing him for nothing.

Dimarco, 28, has made 236 appearances for Inter across eight years, winning two Serie A titles and reaching two Champions League finals. Last season, operating as a wingback in Cristian Chivu’s title-winning side, he contributed seven goals and 18 assists in 35 league games — numbers that underline why he is regarded as one of the best in the world in his position.

Adapting to a back four at United would require a shift in his game, but his attacking output from wide areas would offer Carrick something the squad currently lacks on the left flank.

The pursuit would mark a change in United’s usual approach of targeting younger full-backs, though the club’s situation with Shaw adds context. The 31-year-old is also in the final year of his contract, meaning United could feasibly be planning for life without him at the same time as they look to bring Dimarco in.