Throughout the recent summer transfer window, Manchester United had two main priorities, with INEOS managing to solve only one of their biggest issues.

The central midfield department was in desperate need of reinforcements after Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte was ruled out for an extended period with a knee injury.

Over £150m was splashed by the hierarchy to improve such an area, as the likes of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba all completed moves to Old Trafford.

However, despite the impressive additions this window, the fanbase and Michael Carrick may be slightly disappointed that one player didn’t arrive before the window slammed shut.

Why Lewis Hall would have been perfect for United this summer

All summer long, Manchester United were linked with a whole host of left-back options - but none quite as extensively as Newcastle United star Lewis Hall.

The Englishman was seen as a key target for the Red Devils, but the Magpies’ reluctance to sell saw the Red Devils miss out on a deal for the 21-year-old’s signature.

Despite the long-standing interest, Carrick’s men never actually made an offer for the youngster - which proved to cost them dearly in the hunt for his signature.

Luke Shaw has been the club’s main full-back for numerous years, but the fanbase have been unconvinced by his performances at Old Trafford over recent months.

A deal for Hall would have seen a long-term solution to the current issues, with his stats from last season showcasing his immediate quality at both ends of the pitch.

The Magpies star managed to rank in the top 25% of all full-backs in England for his chance creation, subsequently handing Carrick an extra quality option in forward areas.

Even without the ball, Hall managed to catch the eye, subsequently making 7.2 defensive contributions per 90 in England’s top-flight last campaign.

How United sold a Lewis Hall upgrade for just £5m

United have been known to cash in on numerous key players too early throughout recent seasons, which has often cost them dear in their attempts to secure success.

Their biggest market failure was the £89m deal to sign Paul Pogba back in 2016, after releasing the Frenchman just four years before breaking their club record to re-sign him.

Such dealings have since been called out by the supporters, who have often been frustrated by some of the dealings which have taken place at Old Trafford.

Another one of the questionable pieces of business in recent times was allowing left-back Alvaro Carreras to depart for just £5m to join Benfica in the summer of 2024.

The Spaniard, who joined from Real Madrid back in 2020, spent the majority of his time in the academy ranks, but was sent out on loan to the likes of Preston and Grenada.

The 23-year-old also failed to make a single senior appearance at Old Trafford, despite supporters calling for the youngster to be handed a chance in the first-team.

However, after a successful loan spell in Portugal, Benfica agreed a bargain £5m deal to land the full-back in the summer of 2024 - ending his four-year affiliation with the Red Devils.

Carreras has since taken his career to the next level and rejoined boyhood club Real Madrid, subsequently moving back to the Bernabeu for a reported £43m last summer.

He featured 28 times in LaLiga last term and produced countless impressive figures in the process - even outperforming current transfer target Hall in the process.

The Spaniard managed to create more chances throughout the 2025/26 campaign, subsequently handing the Red Devils a bigger talent within attacking areas.

He also managed to complete more of the passes attempted last season, with his 91% pass completion rate placing him in the top 10% of all full-backs across Europe.

Without the ball, Carreras also managed to dominate the Englishman last term, subsequently making more ball recoveries and interceptions per 90.

Both of his aforementioned figures ranked him above 90% of players in position, with the former of the two tallies actually the highest of any player in LaLiga.

The £5m sale of the Spaniard now looks to be a huge error from the United hierarchy, with the Madrid star undoubtedly one of the biggest talents in his position.

Hall would certainly be a solid addition in the near future, but the club could have saved themselves millions had they kept hold of the full-back a couple of years ago.