Amorim told he must strengthen this position in January at all costs, it’s not midfield

Manchester United are expected to turn to the transfer market once again in 2026, despite investing over £200 million in four new players this summer. Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens have already made their presence felt, and while Benjamin Sesko has struggled, he is expected to eventually come good. The Red Devils have started to show promise under head coach Ruben Amorim this season, and now sit seventh in the league table after 13 games, with six wins and four defeats to their name so far. While there have been significant improvements, especially compared to last season when they finished 15th in the league, Amorim’s team still have a few issues that need to be addressed. Midfield not the only area that needs attention It is believed that United will focus on the midfield in 2026, with reinforcements likely in January as well as next summer. With Casemiro out of contract in just over six months, and Manuel Ugarte failing to convince, someone like Carlos Baleba could suit Amorim’s tactics very well. However, the left wing has also emerged as a problem in recent times, with neither Diogo Dalot nor Patrick Dorgu managing to convince. The 3-4-3 system deployed by Amorim relies heavily on wing-backs; while the Amad Diallo-Bryan Mbeumo partnership has flourished on the right, the same cannot be said of the left wing. It is an issue that former United defender Wes Brown has now highlighted as well. United advised to reinforce left wing Brown recently spoke on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, where he was asked which area he would strengthen in the winter transfer window. The five-time Premier League winner responded: “Where would I like to get another player in? At the moment, Manuel Ugarte hasn’t played as well this season as you would have thought.” “Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, at the moment, are holding that. I mean, I would love to see Kobbie Mainoo more. I know the manager says that Kobbie plays in the same position as Bruno…” “But I’m probably going to have to go with… and I’m not sure if Luke Shaw can do it… a left wing-back. But I reckon we’ll see Luke Shaw there in the upcoming games.” “You want to have that [energy] at wing-back. Amad Diallo can do it. He’s going to lose a few at the back-post, I suppose, every now and again, but you can see the difference in age.” “I just feel with Manchester United at the moment, a lot of our good possession and where we’re strong is on the right-hand side. Our left probably isn’t as strong and it would be nice to see that so United can (attack) both ways.” “Everybody knows Bryan Mbeumo and Amad, when they get on the ball, it’s dangerous. It’s not exactly the same on that left-hand side.” Luke Shaw has featured exclusively in the left-sided centre-back position this season. However, with Lisandro Martinez now back to full fitness, the Englishman’s position is under threat and Amorim could be tempted to use him as a wing-back. Final Thoughts United signed Patrick Dorgu in January this year, hoping that he would solve their left wing-back issue. However, the 21 year old has struggled to live up to expectations this season. If the Dane’s form fails to improve, the Red Devils could be tempted to move for a new option for the position in January, provided finances permit such a move. Alternatively, Amorim could also use Shaw or even Diego Leon in the position, although a recent report relayed by The Peoples Person suggests that the Paraguayan will leave on loan in January. Featured image Warren Little via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.