Michael Carrick suggests Manchester United could solve issue without new arrival

Michael Carrick has left the door open for Patrick Dorgu to address his left-back concerns this season. The Red Devils identified the position as a priority for reinforcement this summer, with several targets reportedly on their radar.

Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde was floated as a possibility, while the Red Devils made a late attempt to secure Manchester City star Rayan Ait-Nouri. Neither transfer materialized, leaving Luke Shaw as Carrick’s sole senior left-back option.

Harry Amass was reportedly set for a loan departure from Old Trafford on deadline day, but the club ultimately decided to retain him. When questioned whether winger Dorgu could fill the role moving forward, United boss Carrick remained receptive to the possibility.

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Dorgu arrived at United from Lecce in 2025, having primarily played at left-back -Credit:Dan Mullan/Getty Images

“He can certainly play there. He has done, without doubt,” said Carrick, as per The Mirror. “I’m not sitting here saying he can’t do that. It’s just the way we’ve been since I’ve been here.

“He actually has been injured, unfortunately, for some time. You could almost argue that he played three or four times for us last season, so for me, he’s almost like a new player, you know, to have, and it’s almost like a new signing in some ways because he’s added so much to the group.

“He’s played off the right for Denmark, scored a great goal in the summer playing off the right in a forward position,” the United boss added. “He can play left-back. He’s that type where he can do a number of things. I’m certainly not saying he can’t do that at all.

“It’s something he can, we just haven’t had to explore that. At some point, we might have to, at some point he might do that. He can do that, absolutely no problem. There are times in training when he does it.

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“And then he’s only young, being such a young age and having the attributes that he’s got, we’ve just got to keep trying to get the most out of him.”

Dorgu joined Old Trafford from Italian club Lecce – where he primarily played left-back – in 2025 and has since accumulated 50 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, though only a small number of those have been in defense.

Despite United’s failure to secure a left-back, the summer proved hectic overall, particularly regarding midfield reinforcements. The club invested approximately £140 million ($189.2 million) on revamping their engine room, bringing in Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos.

Club officials are now expected to prioritize strengthening their backline next summer, with Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall reportedly among the candidates under consideration.