Fresh off facing a frustrating 1-0 loss to Arsenal, Manchester United must go all out to sign a holding midfielder in the final days of the summer transfer window.

Manchester United came into the 2025/26 season-opening Premier League game against Arsenal eager to make amends for a horrendous 2024/25 campaign. The Red Devils were hot off the gates and put the visitors to the sword, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha showcasing the makings of a fearsome offensive partnership.

Ruben Amorim’s charges were fitter and more energetic while being proactive off the ball. That meant Arsenal had no breathing room and barely created any openings. Viktor Gyokeres looked lost, and not through his own doing sometimes. Bukayo Saka hardly ever got past Luke Shaw, and Gabriel Martinelli was reduced to speculative efforts.

However, the game flipped on its head in the 13th minute, as the away side scored against the run of play, with a goalkeeping error by Altay Bayindir gifting Riccardo Calafiori a goal. That was the game’s only goal, with Arsenal failing to create chances or put Manchester United under pressure.

While the Red Devils created waves of attacking moves, they could not get past David Raya, a rock between the sticks for the Gunners. There were several positives; Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Amad Diallo producing several promising moments in the final third; Patrick Dorgu came close with a rasping drive, and the centre-backs were a rock in and around the box.

However, while the goalkeeping error will dominate much of the post-match discussions, the critical talking point after the game for Manchester United should be the midfield woes, as the failure to overrun Arsenal in the middle of the park was the home side’s undoing more than anything else.

The decision-makers at Manchester United realise the shortcomings in the middle of the park, as has been evident by their recent attempts to sign Carlos Baleba. However, with Brighton & Hove Albion determined to hold on to the Cameroonian international, a move will unlikely see the light until 2026.

That leaves Ruben Amorim with Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte as the potential partners for Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park. Therein lies the problem for Manchester United, as the club captain cannot operate as efficiently as he would like with either player alongside him in the centre of the pitch.

While Casemiro was a powerhouse in the middle of the park aeons ago, the strength in his legs has disappeared, thus robbing him of pace and power while tracking runners in the middle of the park. On the other hand, Ugarte struggles with the ball at his feet and cannot help Manchester United in progressing play. The former PSG midfielder also tends to give the ball away cheaply at times, and that nearly led to an opening for Arsenal before Harry Maguire cleaned up at the back.

More importantly, as iterated earlier, Bruno Fernandes is a pale shadow of his best in an unfamiliar position if he is not operating alongside an all-action midfield powerhouse. That reflected in his numbers, as he gave the ball away 15 times, lost nearly half of his duels when he needed to help out Casemiro, and completed only one of five attempted crosses.

While the Portuguese international produced five “key passes” and completed 84 per cent of his passes, the times he lost possession heaped pressure on the defenders and gave away critical momentum. One instance led to the corner that created the game’s only goal.

So, while Bruno Fernandes remains Manchester United’s linchpin, it will count for nothing if his creative moments come with cheap giveaways. The Red Devils can do away with that by signing an all-action holding midfielder that can take the defensive burden off the captain.

With a move for Carlos Baleba an uphill task, Manchester United must identify alternatives. That must be the club’s priority in the final days of the summer transfer window to give Amorim the ingredients to create a solid spine that can lead to success in the 2025/26 season and beyond.

The defeat to Arsenal produced several positives across the pitch. However, if the Red Devils leave the midfield issue unaddressed, it may create more trouble as the season wears on, even if there are positive signs for a promising 2025/26 campaign for Ruben Amorim and his charges.