Manchester United's Rebuild: Ederson Joins as Carrick Leads Changes
Manchester United have wasted no time turning Michael Carrick’s impressive audition into a fully fledged rebuild.
Fresh from a storming second half of the season that dragged them to third place and back into the Champions League, United have moved decisively for Ederson, striking a deal with Atalanta that underlines just how radical this summer could become at Old Trafford.
Ederson in, but United only getting started
David Ornstein reported on Tuesday night that United have reached an agreement with Atalanta to sign the Brazilian midfielder. The numbers are clear: €40.5m guaranteed, with a further €4.5m in potential bonuses, and personal terms already settled on a four-year contract with an option for a fifth. A medical still stands between Ederson and the official unveiling, with all sides aiming to wrap things up in early July.
It is a serious investment in a 26-year-old who has impressed in Serie A, but, crucially, this is not the centrepiece of the window. It is the opening act.
Fabrizio Romano, who confirmed the agreement, was blunt about the scale of what comes next. Ederson, he said, will be only the first midfield signing. United have already mapped out at least one more addition in that area, potentially two if the right conditions fall into place.
The reason is simple: the old guard is being cleared out.
Romano has stated that Casemiro will leave, with Manuel Ugarte also heading for the exit. That rips out a big chunk of United’s midfield spine and explains why the club are preparing to be “very busy” over the coming weeks. This is not a light refresh. It is surgery.
Carrick’s United take shape
Carrick’s impact since stepping in has been sharp and undeniable. United surged in the second half of the campaign, found a structure, and clawed their way back into the top three. Champions League qualification has not only restored a sense of status, it has also given the club a financial platform to go harder in the market.
The hierarchy responded by removing the “interim” tag and handing Carrick the job on a permanent basis. For some, it might have felt like a gamble. For others, a natural next step.
John Barnes sits firmly in the latter camp. The Liverpool legend believes United have played their hand about as well as they could in the dugout.
“I don’t think you’re going to get a huge name manager to go to Manchester United in terms of the way they are now,” he told Betfred, before calling it “a great appointment” and insisting they “couldn’t have really made a better appointment than him”.
Barnes also expects Carrick to be given something previous managers were not afforded: time. Even if the early months of next season do not explode into life, he anticipates patience rather than panic. For a club that has lurched from one reset to another in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, that would be a significant cultural shift.
Onana returns as his future hangs in the balance
While the midfield is being rebuilt, the goalkeeping situation remains a live issue. United are open to moving Andre Onana on this summer, yet for now, he is coming back through the door.
Romano has revealed that the Cameroon international will return to Manchester and is currently expected to join up with Carrick’s squad for pre-season. That is the plan on United’s side.
Trabzonspor, though, are not out of the picture. The Turkish club remain keen on keeping Onana and want to discuss another loan deal that would run until June 2027. Talks with United and the player’s camp are set to follow, and the outcome will say plenty about how far Carrick and the club are willing to go in reshaping the squad in a single window.
Barnes backs Carrick, weighs in on Fernandes and awards
Barnes’ praise for Carrick did not stop at the touchline. He also touched on the culture around United’s players and the balance any manager must strike.
He noted that the squad appears to like Carrick, calling it both a positive and a potential concern. You want buy-in, not a comfort zone. The former England winger, though, remains convinced the club have landed on the right man and that he will be backed longer than some of his predecessors.
On Bruno Fernandes and the PFA Player of the Year debate, Barnes reverted to a long-held view. Individual awards, he argued, should generally go to players from teams that win or seriously challenge for the Premier League title. He namechecked Declan Rice as his choice for this season, while still acknowledging Fernandes’ strong campaign for United.
Barnes also made it clear that personal accolades never meant as much to him as collective success. The real pride, he said, came when six of his Liverpool teammates joined him in the Team of the Year. That line lands neatly in the context of Carrick’s United: this summer’s work is not about one star, one marquee name, or one headline signing.
Ederson is through the door first. More midfielders are coming. Decisions on Onana and others will follow. The squad that reports back to Carrick in late summer will look and feel different.
The question now is not whether Manchester United are changing. It is how quickly this new version can turn a promising surge under Carrick into a sustained challenge at the very top.
