Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick has cautioned supporters against expecting immediate transformation at Old Trafford, despite the club's significant summer spending, as several Premier League managers addressed squad decisions ahead of the new week's fixtures.
United committed £155m to strengthening their central midfield during the transfer window, bringing in Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba, along with free-agent goalkeeper Karl Darlow as backup. However, the club failed to add a left-back, meaning Luke Shaw remains the only senior specialist in that position heading into a demanding schedule that includes Sunday's trip to Everton and the start of their Champions League campaign on Thursday.
"What squad's ever the perfect squad?" Carrick said, acknowledging the challenges of building a competitive squad. "You've always got to find ways of adapting. It's not going to be one hit where everything is fixed... It's not just an instant fix and you finish top of the league and you stay there."
Despite being outspent in the market by promoted sides Hull, Ipswich and Coventry, Carrick expressed satisfaction with the incoming business. "The players we brought in I'm delighted with; the quality and level we've got I'm really happy with," he added, while acknowledging areas that still need addressing as the club continues its rebuild. United's search for away form continues after their opening-day defeat at Hull, and no further left-back options were secured despite reported inquiries in the closing days of the window.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has spoken candidly about the difficult decision to exclude new signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis from the club's Champions League squad, just two days after the defender's £25m arrival from Southampton. The 24-year-old, capped once by England, was left out alongside 17-year-old forward Brian Madjo, who is recovering from a foot injury.
Emery revealed he personally informed Harwood-Bellis of the decision. "It was difficult," the Spaniard admitted. "It is hard for him, it is hard for me to tell him my decision, but I did it yesterday. I spoke with Taylor and explained to him why. Of course, it was hard, but he understood it." Emery indicated that Harwood-Bellis could still feature in Europe later in the campaign, possibly from February if Villa progress to the knockout stages, with Lamare Bogarde and Boubacar Kamara available to cover at centre-back in the meantime.
At Manchester City, manager Enzo Maresca discussed the impact of deadline-day arrival Enzo Fernández, who joined from Chelsea in a British record-equalling £125m deal. Maresca revealed that several squad members had been eager for the move to be completed. "In the last four or five days four or five players in the squad were asking if he was coming or not because they wanted him to be with us," Maresca said. While Fernández will not immediately take on the captaincy — a role held by Rúben Dias, Erling Haaland, Marc Guéhi and Gianluigi Donnarumma — Maresca praised his winning mentality, referencing his World Cup success with Argentina.
Meanwhile, at Tottenham, head coach Roberto De Zerbi defended his handling of forward Richarlison's situation after the Brazilian was omitted from the club's Premier League squad list. De Zerbi insisted the decision stemmed from Richarlison's own wishes to leave the club, expressed during pre-season discussions. "He decided everything alone," De Zerbi said, adding that the club subsequently brought in another forward. Richarlison had publicly hit back on social media, stating that his future would not be decided for him, though a proposed move to Everton failed to materialize before the deadline, with Turkish side Trabzonspor reportedly maintaining interest.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.