Manchester United have not been a possession-based Premier League side for some time. Inconsistency and a number of changes in the dugout have taken Old Trafford away from dominating football.
You’d have to go back to the 2016/17 season when Jose Mourinho was in charge to find a Man United team that finished a season with an average possession rate of more than 56% (56.5%), when they still ranked fifth in the table.
It would be foolish to equate possession with success – after all, Michael Carrick has averaged 48.1% of possession over his managerial career at Man United – but there is no doubt that the Red Devils will need to play with a little more control next season and consolidate the position they have built under Carrick’s system.
Premier League most possessions (2025/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
club | final ranking | Possession % |
man city | second | 60.7 |
liverpool | 5th place | 59.3 |
chelsea | 10th place | 57.7 |
arsenal | 1st place | 56.4 |
brighton | 8th place | 53.9 |
Aston Villa | 4th place | 53.7 |
newcastle | 12th | 52.5 |
man united | 3rd place | 51.9 |
United have not targeted a maestro midfielder this summer, which is a solid comment on INEOS’ strategy, but a new midfielder is still needed, even with Andrej Santos already brought in from Chelsea.
Why Manchester United signed Andrei Santos
Santos is one of the most exciting young midfielders in the Premier League, with analyst Ben Mattinson claiming that Santos “has everything you want in a central midfielder”.
Of course, expectations and applications are two different things, and the 23-year-old Brazilian was almost flattered to deceive at Chelsea last season after an unusual loan spell at Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg.
United have signed a rising star with the potential to become a superstar, but he’s not quite there yet. Carrick will need a more experienced and skilled six to play up front alongside Koby Mainu and tutor Santos.
Ederson was supposed to be that player, but a deal for the Atalanta midfielder fell through. INEOS must dust itself off and go again. There’s no time to waste.
United will need to find another avenue, but they have covered their bases this summer and have identified an exciting alternative.
Manchester United ready to sign Ederson replacement
Manchester United are in talks to sign Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and are close to completing a deal. The 29-year-old is a skilled and experienced midfield operator and his metronomic passing ability could be the perfect tool for Carrick to utilize and establish smoother passing patterns.
But Tielemans alone is probably not enough. In the end, Casemiro left the team and Manuel Ugarte suffered a knee injury in the World Cup match against Uruguay and was sidelined for an extended period of time.
Now, according to Football Insider, Brighton & Hove Albion’s contract with midfielder Carlos Baleva could be revisited following Ederson’s departure.
Valeva has not enjoyed a successful season in the Premier League, so the Seagulls will need to reduce their £100m price tag for the Red Devils to progress, but it is understood that with some encouragement from the south coast side United could also progress.
He agreed personal terms with the player last year and is clearly keen to move on.
Journalist Eduard Hearn hailed him as a “monster” of midfield talent, and although the 2025/26 season has been a bit unkind to the Cameroonian, he remains someone who can make a world of difference.
Throughout the 2024/25 season, he displayed strength and steel in the middle of the park, winning many challenges and bringing the ball forward with purpose and precision.
Carlos Baleva’s Premier League form | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per match) | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
Match (start) | 34(31) | 31(23) |
the goal | 3 | 0 |
assist | 1 | 0 |
touch* | 54.0 | 33.7 |
Exact path* | 33.6 (88%) | 20.8 (86%) |
Opportunities created* | 0.6 | 0.3 |
Successful. dribble* | 1.0 (62%) | 0.4 (48%) |
Ball recovery rate* | 5.8 | 3.4 |
Tackle + Interception* | 3.7 | 2.1 |
Duel (win)* | 5.9 (55%) | 3.3 (50%) |
Like Santos, Baleva didn’t perform at a high level last season, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make an even bigger impact at Old Trafford next year. The key difference is that Brighton’s all-action midfielder has performed at an elite level in the Premier League in the past, while Santos is still looking to take big steps to help his development.
United made great strides under Carrick last season, but they need to do more to cement their place in the Champions League and start closing the gap on the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.
A strong and talented duelist like Baleva could hold the key. He shares many similarities with Santos, but prefers to get forward rather than playing a box-to-box role. He’s probably less of a breaking passer, but that’s not in his wheelhouse.
Given the key elements of Baleva’s performance in the Premier League so far, it’s clear United should focus on signing the Brighton player this summer, not only signing a bigger talent than Santos, but also signing a midfielder with the potential to become one of Europe’s best players.
It’s clear that INEOS are working hard to restore Theater of Dreams to its former pedigree, and being able to get Baleva over the line would be a huge step forward for them.
