How Man Utd can have perfect transfer window with three more signings and Marcus Rashford leading exits

ENGLAND’S 6-4 win against France last week was paradoxical: a game so entertaining it provided more proof that the World Cup third-place match should be scrapped. Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee scored a goal akin to Jude Bellingham’s against Rosenborg by embarking on a sprint, dummying a Rosenborg defender and then the goalkeeper before rolling the ball in. Zirkzee was on target in Trondheim Credit: Getty United won 5-0 in Trondheim Credit: Getty No right-minded United fan would now be clamouring for Zirkzee to be kept on the strength of the goal. Zirkzee barely celebrated his fine solo effort as he knew how insignificant it was. Five-a-side games on 5G pitches would be more intense than United’s 5-0 thrashing of Rosenborg. That game, and the 1-0 loss to Wrexham in Helsinki, will be cause to reassess future pre-season schedules. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! Steep ticket prices for an underwhelming fixture with World Cup participants still absent resulted in a half-empty crowd in Trondheim on Friday. United visited the Norwegian city two years ago, too. The club’s first visit to Helsinki in 61 years against Wrexham did not draw out a bumper crowd, either. A little over 20,000 fans clicked through the turnstiles. United are playing one more pre-season game than last year when they had a full squad available. The sole reason for that is money but supporters are not going to pay through the nose en masse to watch Zirkzee. Ideally, United would jettison Zirkzee and bring in a replacement. But while Benjamin Sesko is building up his fitness and United wait for their World Cup internationals to return, Zirkzee is needed. United are three signings short but if the transfer window was to suddenly close tomorrow they could argue that they have an adequately-sized squad. Three goalkeepers, two right backs, two left backs, five centre backs, four central midfielders, two left wingers, two right wingers, a playmaker and two strikers. That 23-man list excludes Marcus Rashford and Manuel Ugarte. Most read in Sport Add three more recruits, shift Rashford and Zirkzee, and a 25-man list is a more complete number of senior players for a season back in the Champions League. The Red Devils have been strongly linked with a move for Aurelien Tchouameni with Real Madrid looking to raise money to sign Rodri. Whoever the manager or coach is, United’s squad management is constructed with academy talents in mind. Four of them scored in Trondheim and two have merit in Carrick’s core squad. Harry Amass is one of the two aforementioned left backs. The 19-year-old has not played since a hamstring injury ended his 2025-26 campaign in January but he had impressed in the Championship and is champing at the bit for more opportunities. Amass had his issues with Ruben Amorim but Amorim also gave him his full debut against Wolves. Amass offered more than anyone in a red shirt in that 1-0 defeat in April 2025. The United academy lads loaned to the Championship are the ones the club feel have a chance of returning to the first team. The second half of Amass’s 2025-26 season was a write-off but he is the right choice to compete with Luke Shaw on the left. Shea Lacey, another left-footer, opened the scoring in Norway and has spent most of the past year with the United squad. He looked lively in his four first-team cameos. Lacey, 19, is behind Bryan Mbeumo and Amad in the right-wing pecking order but he has earned a permanent promotion to senior squad member status. His direct dribbling threatened an equaliser at Aston Villa last December and he smacked the woodwork within seconds of his introduction at Burnley in January. Ethan Williams and Jacob Devaney were both on the scoresheet against Rosenborg. The pair were on loan at Scottish Premiership sides Falkirk and St Mirren last season. Amass is back in the United fold after two loans last season Credit: Getty Lacey got on the scoresheet Credit: Getty The prospect that they could make the leap to the Premier League is about as fanciful as Scotland ever emerging from a World Cup group. Not that long ago, Scotland had become a graveyard for United academy misfits. Matty Willock, Demetri Mitchell, James Wilson and Charlie Scott headed across the border to St Johnstone, Hearts, Aberdeen and Hamilton Academical in one calendar year alone. United youngsters do not struggle for cheerleaders these days. Coverage of the academy has increased in recent years – an undeniable positive – and the social media crowd fuels and falsifies many players’ actual ability. Emerging young players’ parents are also at an age where social media has long been the norm for them, so there are instances of very public parental campaigning. Williams scored against Bournemouth in Chicago on tour with United last year, having fared well during four months on loan at Cheltenham in League Two. Devaney, a Barnsley-born Republic of Ireland Under 21 international, seems ready for a Football League loan. They will have to enjoy this while it lasts. Come United’s training camp in Dublin in two weeks, Carrick will not be accommodating a plethora of academy professionals on the plane as he did in Trondheim and Helsinki. Some will be allocated a boarding pass. Amass and Lacey should be while midfielder Jim Thwaites was in Ireland for the April camp. United play Leeds at Croke Park in the middle of their training week. That may be more competitive than England-France. Comment now