Manchester United has allocated a budget, with "Carrick" preparing to sign the first new player to reinforce the team this January, targeting the Red Devils' plan.
On 14 Jan 2026 GMT+7, The Guardian, a leading UK media outlet, reported that Manchester United, the Premier League giant, is ready to provide interim manager Michael Carrick with funds to strengthen the squad in this January transfer window.
Michael Carrick recently agreed to take on the interim manager role at Manchester United until the end of this season, with the goal of guiding the team to a top-four Premier League finish to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League, following elimination from all cup competitions including the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
It is expected that Carrick might not receive a large transfer budget this winter because Manchester United plans to pursue their main summer targets, such as Elliott Anderson (Nottingham Forest) or Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).
However, The Guardian has revealed that Manchester United is prepared to sign a midfielder before the January window closes and has allocated a budget for Michael Carrick to acquire Ruben Neves, the Portuguese national team playmaker.
Ruben Neves, 28, has been linked with a return to European football after moving from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Al Hilal in the Saudi league for two and a half years. As his contract expires in June, his transfer fee is estimated at around £20 million if moved this transfer window.
For this reason, Manchester United is willing to enter the winter transfer market and has approved a £20 million budget to make an offer for Ruben Neves to strengthen Michael Carrick's squad in pursuit of Champions League qualification.
Ruben Neves possesses qualities Manchester United desires, including creativity, long-range shooting, experience, and leadership. He played 253 matches for Wolverhampton, scoring 30 goals and providing 13 assists before moving to Al Hilal, where he has played 111 matches, scored 16 goals, and made 27 assists.
