Manchester United have made their worst start to a league season in 40 years and are in desperate need of reinforcements in the January transfer window

The summer transfer window closed less than two months ago and Manchester United are already desperate for January.

United spent £155million to reshape their midfield in the summer but have seen their 2026/27 campaign start disastrously under Michael Carrick. The arrival of Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba has not had the desired impact and Carrick's future as manager is under threat following a run of just two wins in 12 games.

The team sits 16th in the Premier League, having gone eight matches without a win. Already the plan for the season is being torn up, with club chiefs looking for a new manager while also pondering transfers in January.

Injuries have struck, leaving United's squad brutally exposed. Their failure to sign a left-back in the summer, with top target Lewis Hall unavailable from Newcastle, has come back to bite them, while the lack of depth up front is another obvious issue that needs to be addressed.

The problems may be obvious but the solutions are less so. Here Mirror Football takes a look at the players United could move for in January.

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Tyrick Mitchell

United needed a left-back before the season kicked off. They need one even more now, with the injuries to Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu further highlighting their lack of depth in the position.

Shaw is in his 13th season for United and the club need to find his long-term successor. Mitchell should be on the United recruitment department's radar for two reasons: he has plenty of Premier League experience and has a contract with Crystal Palace which is due to expire in June.

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The 27-year-old has made 256 appearances for Palace and is comfortable playing as a conventional left-back, or as a left wing-back. A tough-tackling defender with a good engine, his move to Old Trafford could have echoes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka's transfer from Palace back in 2019.

Palace are aware of the interest in Mitchell and reportedly want to tie him down to a new contract, but their early-season struggles under Pierre Sage could play into United's hands. If they can land him before he signs a new contract, the fee involved should please INEOS, who are unlikely to sanction big deals as a mid-season rescue mission.

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Ait-Nouri's move to Manchester City from Wolves has not gone to plan, with the Algeria international failing to hold down a place in the starting XI. The arrival of Enzo Maresca this summer has not helped matters, with Josko Gvardiol and Nico O'Reilly his preferred options in the position.

There doesn't appear to be a way back and City are reportedly ready to sell in January, with sporting director Hugo Viana already working on an exit. United have been linked with Ait-Nouri before and it would appear to be a good solution for all parties, if the club rivalry can be put to one side. However, the fact he still has over three years left to run on his City contract and moved for £31million in 2025 could complicate things.

Ait-Nouri is still only 25 years old and, at his best, is an exciting attack-minded left-back, shown by his nine assists in 35 games for City.

Adrien Truffert

The most ambitious of the three left-back targets. While Mitchell's contract is running down and Ait-Nouri wants to move for more football, Truffert is happy at Bournemouth, who thrashed United 3-0 last weekend.

Truffert was on United's radar before he helped the Cherries win at Old Trafford. The 24-year-old has been an ever-present and ever-impressive player at left-back for Bournemouth since his £14m move from Rennes last year and looks set to be another success story on the south coast.

United are not the Frenchman's only admirers and competing with rivals is not likely to be easy for the club. Bournemouth will also be extremely reluctant to sell mid-season. If they are to stand any chance of landing Truffert then United would surely have to wait until the summer.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Left-back isn't the only area of need for United, who are also thin on the ground up front. Carrick confirmed on Thursday that Benjamin Sesko would be sidelined until January with a shin injury, making their decision not to sign a striker in the summer appear foolish.

Club chiefs have reportedly identified Leeds' Calvert-Lewin as a target. The former Everton centre-forward has impressed in Daniel Farke's side, scoring five times this season to add to his 15 strikes in his debut campaign.

Calvert-Lewin's current contract runs until the summer of 2028, but Leeds could extend it to ward off interest. It seems very unlikely that Leeds would sanction a move for their first-choice striker to their fiercest rivals mid-season.

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Mateta's future at Crystal Palace has been a near constant source of speculation in 2026. The Frenchman very nearly joined AC Milan in January, only for the deal to collapse due to a knee injury and there was more speculation over the summer. Ultimately, Mateta stayed put, but the rumour mill is churning once more.

Palace sold Marc Guehi in January to Manchester City, instead of losing him for free in the summer, and now face a similar decision with Mateta, whose contract expires in June.

The 29-year-old is understood to be open to joining United in January, but his injury record is a consideration. Mateta has only played four times, scoring once, this season due to a hamstring issue and would appear to be only a short-term solution if he were to move to United.