Gary Neville Urges Manchester United to Sign Two Defenders Before Transfer Deadline

 

Gary Neville says Manchester United need to sign a centre-back and a full-back before Tuesday's transfer deadline, warning that ongoing defensive weaknesses could hold back progress made in other areas of the squad this summer.

United have already spent big this summer, putting £155m into midfielders Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. That follows last summer's spending on attackers Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. 

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of United's game against Ipswich, Neville said manager Michael Carrick would likely have wanted to rebuild both midfield and defense this summer if given the choice, but pointed out that fixing the team "piece by piece" over multiple windows is a reasonable approach too. He said United have some solid individual defenders but lack a settled back four, and that the problems will show once the team faces pressure or injuries during the season.

Neville argued United aren't the only big club falling short in this area, saying he's surprised both United and Liverpool have gone into the season without strengthening their defenses, especially compared to Arsenal, who are adding players despite already being near the top of the table.

He expanded on these concerns after United's 5-2 win over Ipswich, speaking on his own podcast. Neville said the midfield's main job now is protecting the back four, and credited new signing Baleba as the physical, defensive-minded player the team needed. Still, he warned that United's defensive personnel are largely unchanged from the last two seasons, when the team conceded 50 league goals, and said that record won't improve unless the players in front of them offer more protection. He noted United have already conceded four goals in their first two league games and created several chances for Ipswich in the first half alone.

Neville pointed to a moment late in the Ipswich game when both starting full-backs, Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw, were substituted, leaving Leny Yoro at right-back and Noussair Mazraoui at left-back. He said neither player is a natural fit in those roles. He mentioned Newcastle's Lewis Hall and Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly as players who've been linked with a move, though he stressed he wasn't necessarily suggesting United make a move for either.

Neville said the bigger question facing Carrick is how to stop the flow of goals United are conceding, whether through squad additions or a change in structure. He said games against Everton and Manchester City in the coming weeks will test whether the team can tighten up defensively. "Can Michael Carrick get a defender or two in the next 48 hours?" he asked, adding that signing even one specialist defender could change the outlook for United's season.

On the ground, United have been looking at left-back options. They asked about Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen, who is expected to sign a new contract at Villa instead. They've also long been interested in Newcastle's Lewis Hall, but the club has said he isn't for sale. 

For now, Luke Shaw remains United's only senior specialist left-back, with Mazraoui, Dalot, and new signing Baleba able to cover the position if needed. Young left-back Harry Amass is expected to leave the club, most likely on loan. Sources suggest United may hold off on a left-back signing this window and revisit the position in a future transfer window instead.