Michael Carrick Pushes for More Signings as Manchester United Eye Ibrahim Mbaye

Manchester United are braced for a frantic finish to the transfer window, and Michael Carrick is not hiding it. The manager wants more bodies, more quality, and more depth as he gears up for a Champions League return and a season fought on several fronts.

A month has passed since United moved early to reshape their midfield with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. Karl Darlow has arrived to add experience in goal, with a clutch of youngsters also brought through the door. Since then, silence. No marquee forward, no new defender, no big late splash.

Carrick knows that cannot be the end of it.

Carrick: “We want more, we need more”

The United boss has been blunt about where the club stand and where they need to go. For him, this is only the middle of a rebuild, not the conclusion.

“We want more, we need more, we keep looking for how we can do that,” he said, underlining the urgency behind the scenes. “Money's money, I get that.

“We feel like we have to be pushing for everything we're involved in, while being realistic of what the recent history's looked like over a period of time.

“For now, we've got to make the most of it, but we've got to push every boundary we can to be able to win again, basically. That's the challenge.”

Third place last season gave Carrick a platform and a Champions League ticket, but also a reality check. Competing in Europe, the league and domestic cups with a thin squad is a risk he clearly does not want to take. The message is simple: the rebuild is active, not complete.

Mbaye chase opens up

Into that context drops the name Ibrahim Mbaye.

The 18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain winger has been on the radar of several top clubs, with United among those tracking his situation. At PSG, he sits behind a crowded cast of forwards and faces a fight for regular minutes. For ambitious teenagers, that kind of logjam often forces a decision.

United’s chances of landing him may have just improved. Liverpool, who are in the market for wide players after Mohamed Salah’s departure, have reportedly stepped back from a move for Mbaye. Their focus has shifted towards his PSG teammate Bradley Barcola instead.

The sticking point is clear: Mbaye’s price. The French champions are understood to want around £42.7m, a fee that has cooled Liverpool’s interest and could thin the field of serious bidders.

For United, that represents both an opportunity and a test of resolve. An 18-year-old with that valuation is a long-term play, not a quick fix. But Carrick has already nailed his colours to the mast: he wants more options, more competition, more weapons.

With the clock ticking on the window and Champions League nights looming, United now have a clearer run at Mbaye. Whether they take it will say plenty about how hard they really intend to “push every boundary” to win again.