Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick does not hold unilateral control over the club’s transfer activity, despite being the manager.

According to Tyrone Marshall of the Manchester Evening News, United have deliberately moved away from the old model where one manager dictated signings almost entirely on his own.

Carrick retains genuine influence over recruitment discussions, but the final say on transfers does not rest solely with him.

That is a significant distinction that reflects how elite football clubs now prefer to structure their recruitment operations in the modern era.

Carrick can propose players, outline the profiles he needs, and give his assessment of whether a target fits the way he wants his team to play.

However, United’s recruitment is run as a collaborative effort involving the football department, data analysts, scouts, and senior executives working together.

Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada, and recruitment figures such as Christopher Vivell are understood to play major roles in shaping United’s overall transfer strategy.

Recent reporting has also highlighted United’s move towards a more disciplined, data-driven approach, with Vivell central to recruitment work and Berrada stressing that the club will not allow agents to dictate their plans.

United have learned difficult lessons in the past, having too often bought players who suited a specific manager only to leave the next coach with an unbalanced squad.

Giving any single manager complete control is risky, particularly at a club that has wasted significant amounts of money across several transfer windows in recent years.

That does not mean Carrick is powerless, and the structure still ensures the head coach is properly consulted throughout the entire recruitment process.

The signing of Éderson from Atalanta, agreed for an initial £35m, has been described as the first major addition of Carrick’s reign at Old Trafford.

United are also continuing to look at midfield targets, with Aurélien Tchouaméni, Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, and Elliot Anderson all understood to be on the club’s radar.

The current approach reflects a broader shift across elite football, where clubs prioritise structural continuity that can survive a potential change in management.

United need a clear football identity built to last beyond any one coach, making this joined-up recruitment model exactly the right framework for the club moving forward.

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