There was a time when Manchester United were flooded with left-sided options, but that department appears to be an area of urgency for Michael Carrick and others to address this summer.
Last summer, ruthless manager Ruben Amorim oversaw the departures of Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, but none of them looked suited to the Portuguese’s 3-4-2-1 set-up.
Despite returning to a more orthodox system under Carrick, the lack of left-wing options remains a pressing issue, with Patrick Dorg’s future at left-back still unknown and Matheus Cunha not a true winger by trade.
Manchester United top scorer – 25/26 PL | ||
|---|---|---|
player | the goal | assist |
Mbeumo | 11 | 3 |
Sesco | 11 | 1 |
Cunha | 10 | 2 |
Fernandez | 9 | twenty one |
Casemiro | 9 | 2 |
i go to sleep | 4 | 4 |
mount | 3 | 0 |
Amado | 2 | 3 |
jirkzee | 2 | 1 |
Bruno Fernandes remains Cunha’s preferred number 10 role, with the Brazilian finding a home in the side instead, but his regular starting role could be under threat if a key signing is made this summer.
Manchester United begin contract talks with left-wing sensation worth an estimated £87m
The first priority may be to secure the sale of the aforementioned Rashford, but Anthony Gordon’s surprise move to Camp Nou has dashed the Englishman’s hopes of joining Barcelona on a permanent deal.
With Carrick in charge permanently, there have been whispers that the 28-year-old academy graduate could return, but after 18 months on loan, that seems unlikely.
Rashford was United’s main left-wing player for a long time until he was dumped by manager Amorim at the end of 2024, and there was still a hole to be filled this summer.
Now, as reported by TEAMtalk, INEOS could end up making an early move to find his replacement, with the report outlining that the Red Devils are also one of the clubs that have “held discussions” regarding signing Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
According to reports, Arsenal and Liverpool are both at the front of the queue for the 23-year-old to want to leave the Parc des Princes this summer, with Chelsea and Manchester City also engaged in their own negotiations.
The Frenchman, who is reportedly worth around £87m, is said to be keen for a new challenge amid the frustration of fewer starting appearances under manager Luis Enrique, and his agent is actively working on an escape plan.
Why signing Barcora is bad news for Cunha
As mentioned above, Cunha is not a natural winger by trade, but he still had a promising first season at Old Trafford, scoring a total of 10 league goals after joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As well as being an astute goalscorer, he is also a player who has scored some great goals, most notably his stunning winning goal in January’s 3-2 away win over Arsenal at the Emirates.
Early signs are positive, but the thorny question remains whether he is a long-term solution on the left, with United often drifting inwards and lacking width under Carrick.
Similarly, his tally of just two assists at the top level is not very impressive, one of which came from the right wing as he teed up Dorg in the Manchester derby.
Arguably “one of the best left wingers in Europe” in the opinion of analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson, Barcola could pose a real threat to the France international, who has shone in recent seasons in Paris.
The fourth man behind an illustrious attacking trio, Barcola’s talent was evident when he came on, having memorably shone in several appearances off the bench in last month’s Champions League final.
His combination of lightning speed and fluid dribbling prowess makes the former Lyon star really difficult to contain. Even in the match against Inter, which was the highlight of Europe’s competition last year, he showed a sense of confusion, even if it was pointless.
Even in the midst of a personally difficult season, Barcola surpassed Cunha with 11 league goals for the French champions, reaching double figures for both goals and assists in Ligue 1 in 2024/25.
In 2025/26, he only contributed one assist, despite creating 11 ‘big chances’ and averaging 1.3 key passes per game, highlighting how creative he can be from the wings.
In contrast, in Cunha’s case, the 27-year-old only created four “big chances” and averaged just 1.1 key passes per game. Much of his best work has come from individual moments of magic, not necessarily when delivering items to his teammates.
That’s not to say that the £62.5m signing won’t be a mainstay in Manchester again next season, but adding Barcola to the squad could certainly spell bad news for his hopes of remaining a consistent starter.
Cunha seemed perfect for one of the two number 10 roles in the Amorim regime, but questions remain as to where his future really lies under the Carrick regime.
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