Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has admitted the summer transfer window brought several problems, with finance proving the biggest obstacle. United still made major additions in midfield, signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba for a combined $209 million (£155 million), but the club also left gaps unfilled, including at left back, which left some supporters unconvinced by the overall outcome.

Carrick was clear that a perfect window was never guaranteed. Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said: “I think we’ve brought some really good players into the football club, and improved the squad in different ways, individually but collectively,” Carrick told Sky Sports News .

“I think we’ve grown. You go into the window and when you come out of it, you want to be stronger than you were at the start. I’m convinced we are that.

“Transfer windows are never straightforward and this window in particular has been challenging for different reasons. There’s a lot of money being spent in and around the league itself, and I think we’ve made the most of the situation that we’ve found ourselves in.

“That’s the world we live in. Teams at certain points are going to spend a lot of money. Sometimes it’s going to be more than what we spend, sometimes maybe not. We’ve got to make the most of what we can and understand where we’re at. I think we’re a very good team, we want to keep getting better.”

David Ornstein of The Athletic also suggested United may end up feeling short-changed by not strengthening further as they prepare to return to the Champions League. He said: “But they haven’t got an unlimited flow of cash,” Ornstein added. “They’ve got to live within relative means.”

The early part of the window underlined that point. United wanted Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United, but pulled out when Tottenham Hotspur’s $112 million (£85 million) bid was judged poor value. Santos and Tielemans then arrived for $113.1 million combined.

ESPN also reported that United looked at Mamadou Sangaré, then of Lens, before losing out to a recent trend of players choosing mid-table clubs as a route to a bigger move later. Brentford moved quickly to benefit from that situation.

The 2026 summer transfer window was noisy across Europe, but the final picture was shaped by a handful of clear outcomes. Some clubs strengthened decisively, some missed their targets, and a few emerged looking more settled than they did at the start of the summer.

Enzo Fernández was among the biggest beneficiaries. After being turned away by Real Madrid, he kept his options open and eventually landed the move he wanted to Manchester City. Chelsea’s initial deadline for a bid passed without action, but the deal still came together on Deadline Day for $169 million (£125 million). That made Fernández the first player to command two transfer fees above £100 million. Chelsea also held their side of the agreement even after the intended replacement, Lamine Camara, did not arrive.

Real Madrid kept a low profile late on because their work was done earlier. They addressed the areas they identified before the season started, adding Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande and Ibrahima Konaté, while Bernardo Silva was the compromise after Rodri proved unattainable. They also secured Vinícius Júnior on a six-year extension and posted a new revenue record from player sales. The early return has been positive, with three wins from three and 10 goals scored.

Anthony Gordon also came out of the window well. He moved from Newcastle United to Barcelona, where he now has Champions League football and a far stronger title outlook. He has already registered three assists in three appearances, with Raphinha operating as the team’s No. 9.

Chelsea’s overhaul was significant in both directions. Morgan Rogers arrived, Emiliano Martínez solved a long-standing goalkeeping issue, and Maxence Lacroix plus Marco Palestra added further depth. At the other end, the club moved on 26 players and collected major fees through Fernández, Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson.

Atlético Madrid, by contrast, lost control of the Julián Alvarez situation and ended the summer with the player still in place after a bitter standoff. Liverpool also left questions behind, having replaced departures with left wingers while their right side remained exposed. Manchester United kept Joshua Zirkzee, who remains on the fringes, and Tottenham Hotspur briefly looked like the window’s biggest spenders before the final balance sheet settled at $413.8 million.

The 2026 World Cup changed the market for several U.S. men’s national team players. Strong performances on the biggest stage helped open doors across Europe, while others used the summer to secure fresh opportunities after productive domestic seasons. From MLS exits to moves inside Europe’s top leagues, the window produced a mix of progress, promise and one Deadline Day saga that never quite became a transfer.

Sebastian Berhalter was among the clearest beneficiaries. He was not a regular starter under Pochettino this summer, but he still logged five World Cup appearances, finishing with a goal and an assist. That followed a career-best 21 goal contributions for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2025, and he backed it up again in 2026 with seven goals and four assists in 18 matches. Middlesbrough moved quickly, paying $2 million in July for the midfielder’s signature. The switch to England’s second tier gives him a major step up from MLS and a possible pathway toward the Premier League.

Gio Reyna needed a reset, and he got one. After managing only 20 appearances for Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2025-26, he went to the World Cup and delivered five appearances, capped by a standout goal against Paraguay. That was enough for Strasbourg to hand him a five-year deal. Reyna has already shown encouraging signs, setting up the only goal in a preseason match against Newcastle United before making his Ligue 1 debut off the bench. He then earned a start against Lens and helped Strasbourg take three points. For a player who needs rhythm, that kind of continuity matters.

Zavier Gozo’s move carried a different kind of weight. The 19-year-old left Real Salt Lake for Crystal Palace on a five-year contract, scored for the club’s U-21s against Arsenal’s youth side, and then made his Premier League debut six days later in a 4-1 loss to Manchester City. The numbers were modest, but the age profile and upside remain obvious.

Folarin Balogun did not move in the end, but his Deadline Day story was impossible to ignore. A permanent switch from Monaco to Everton fell apart after a failed medical, a brief pivot toward Joshua Zirkzee, renewed contact over Balogun, and Monaco pulling back from a separate sale involving Lamine Camara. In the end, Balogun stayed put.