Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has confirmed the club will look to improve in the January transfer window, sensing a potential “opportunity” to take the next step in their squad rebuild.

Lisandro Martínez’s heated outburst against United’s summer recruitment has put the spotlight firmly on those upstairs at Old Trafford, with technical director Jason Wilcox attracting particular scrutiny after being called out directly by the Argentina international.

The first chance for United to address those concerns will come in January, when Carrick admitted the Red Devils will be exploring their options.

“When the next transfer window comes, you want to plan and you want to make the best of it,” the United boss explained.

“Whatever that looks like at this stage, we don’t quite know. But without doubt, there’s opportunity because the transfer window is open.

“So we’ll definitely be looking at that and trying to come out stronger in whatever way that looks like.”

The Final Chapter of Man Utd’s Squad Rebuild

The summer of 2025 was all about the attack. Benjamin Šeško was the headline addition alongside Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, with a total of £210 million ($280 million at current exchange rate) spent to fix that area of the field.

This year, it was the turn of the midfielders—much to Martínez’s frustration. United struck early to sign Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, before Carlos Baleba arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion to take the total spend on the trio to £155 million ($206 million).

United’s plan is now to switch their attention to defense over the next two transfer windows. A new left back is a priority, with the Red Devils keen on Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall during the summer before ultimately deciding to focus their spending elsewhere. Hall signed a new contract at St James’ Park in September.

A new center back is also on the agenda, and that need is only likely to have grown following Martínez’s outburst. The 28-year-old’s contract expires in the summer, but United do have the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

High-level signings are notoriously difficult to find in the January transfer window, when clubs often over-value their players due to the challenges of finding suitable replacements, but occasional opportunities can be found with players struggling for minutes.

The summer window saw United explore a late move for Barcelona left back Alejandro Balde, only to snub a permanent deal for the Spanish star. Balde has since played just 12 minutes and is expected to be available when the winter window opens.