United Spurned Ndidi Opportunity as Carrick Left Without January Reinforcements

Michael Carrick will soldier on with his current squad through to the summer after Manchester United opted against spending during the January transfer window, leaving their midfield reinforcement plans on hold.

Fabrizio Romano has disclosed that the club were presented with a low-cost opportunity to bring in Wilfred Ndidi, the former Leicester midfielder now at Besiktas, but swiftly rejected the proposition despite the player's eagerness to make the switch to Old Trafford.

Speaking on the Here We Go podcast, Romano explained: "I can tell you that Wilfred Ndidi, former midfielder from Leicester, now at Besiktas, was offered as an opportunity to Man United. A low-cost opportunity, the player was very keen on the move but Man United decided immediately not to proceed. They had the chance to do something like a low-cost opportunity but they decided against it."

Ndidi had been linked with United when he departed Leicester, only to join Besiktas in summer 2024 instead.

United's pursuit of midfield talent remains a pressing concern heading into the summer window. Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson tops the club's wish list, though Brighton's Carlos Baleba—who was targeted last summer before a £100m valuation ended those talks—remains hugely admired. Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton is also on the radar.

The club faces complications in their recruitment strategy, with uncertainty surrounding Manuel Ugarte's future likely necessitating a second midfield signing. A left-wing addition could also be considered, with discussions around Antoine Semenyo having clarified that he would be deployed as a left winger in a 4-3-3 rather than as a wing-back under Amorim's system.

Brighton, Forest, and Palace are unlikely to entertain mid-season departures of their key assets, but summer discussions are anticipated to be more productive.

Former United striker Teddy Sheringham has championed Wharton as an ideal recruit. "Manchester United need to sign players who are going to make a difference and, for me, Adam Wharton is one of those players," Sheringham said. "He's broken into the England squad at a young age alongside the likes of Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White – these kind of players are there to prove something and make a difference to the sides they feature in.

"Crystal Palace are a weird one in the sense that they probably don't get as much publicity as they deserve especially after winning the FA Cup last season, so players like Wharton sometimes fly under the radar with their performances. Wharton however is exactly the type of player United should be buying."