Manchester United's two latest midfield signings in Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have both offered their opinions on Michael Carrick as their new head coach.
Manchester United announced their first three signings of the 2026 summer window this week, and two of those additions have strengthened the midfield at Old Trafford.
Andrey Santos arrived in a £50 million deal from Chelsea, while a surprise transfer for Youri Tielemans came soon afterwards, with the Belgian international costing just £35 million from Aston Villa due to a release clause.
For the Reds, it was crucial to address the lack of depth in midfield following Casemiro's exit and Manuel Ugarte's knee injury.
While it appears that Michael Carrick's side are searching for one more signing in that area of the pitch, these two additions will help improve his squad.
Tielemans ready to learn from Carrick
Santos, 22, is set to play the opening pre-season game this weekend while Tielemans gets some well-deserved rest following his role for Belgium at the World Cup.
The former Leicester City and Aston Villa midfielder has spoken to club media about his move, however, and expressed his excitement about working with Carrick.
In particular, Tielemans believes that the head coach's experiences himself as a midfielder will help him improve his own game.
“I’m looking forward to it,” the 29-year-old explained when asked about working with the United boss.
“Obviously, him [Carrick] being a midfielder, he can give me a lot of tips and I can learn from him inside his structure.
“I’m looking forward to learning from him and linking up with my team-mates."
Santos reveling in Carrick advice
Tielemans is not the only one looking forward to being with Carrick on the training field. Santos has also detailed the influence the head coach can have on him as a player too.
“I know him very well. He’s a top, top coach,” the ex-Chelsea star added during his own interview with club media.
“I did a meeting with him, and I remember it because it was around 30 minutes and, when I finished my meeting with him, I said: ‘Wow, he’s amazing.’
“Now, I meet with him [in person] and I’m so excited to work with him.”
It is no surprise that United's two new midfielders are eager to work with one of the best deep-lying playmakers the Premier League has seen, and Carrick himself will be excited to help both players improve their games at Old Trafford.
