Carrick opens door for January transfer activity at Man Utd

Man Utd plan to improve their defensive options, particularly at left-back and centre-back, over the next two transfer windows after focusing on attack and midfield over the last two seasons; watch Leeds vs Man Utd on Sunday, live on Sky Sports from 1pm; kick-off 2pm

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Manchester United will look at trying to strengthen in the January transfer window, according to head coach Michael Carrick, as the club draw up plans to improve the defence over the next year.

Lisandro Martinez this week publicly called out the club's hierarchy for a lack of investment in the summer window, in which United (£163m) were outspent by promoted sides Hull (£173m) and Ipswich (£211m) despite qualifying for the Champions League.

United focused on the midfield rebuild, bringing in Youri Tielemans (£35m), Andrey Santos (£50m) and Carlos Baleba (£70m) for a combined £155m, rather than addressing the lack of depth at left-back and up front.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said Carrick had been left short in defence after the window, and an injury to Luke Shaw has now exposed United's scarcity of options, with youngster Ayden Heaven deputising out of position at left-back.

Despite United's restraint in the summer market, Carrick, who is under mounting pressure amid a five-game winless run, has told Sky Sports there is a desire to be active for any opportunities that might arise in January.

"When the next transfer window comes, you want to plan and you want to make the best of it," said Carrick ahead of Sunday's trip to Leeds, live on Sky Sports .

"Whatever that looks like at this stage, we don't quite know. But without doubt, there's opportunity because the transfer window is open.

"So we'll definitely be looking at that and trying to come out stronger in whatever way that looks like."

United plan to focus on revamping their defence in the next transfer windows in the third stage of their squad-building process, which has seen the attack and midfield addressed over the last two seasons.

Sky Sports News understands United are looking at new centre-backs, as well as left-backs.

In the summer, United explored potential options in their search for a long-term successor to Luke Shaw, who is out of contract at the end of the current season.

England international Lewis Hall was the main focus at left-back, but Newcastle were adamant that he was not for sale after allowing a number of big-name players to leave. Hall has since signed a long-term contract at Newcastle.

There are also doubts around Martinez's future at Old Trafford. The Argentina international's current deal, which expires at the end of this season, includes a club-held option to extend for a further year.

United's last trip to Elland Road spelt the end for Carrick's predecessor, Ruben Amorim, but the man currently in the Old Trafford hot seat believes he will be given time to shape this team despite the poor results this season.

Four defeats from the first nine games of the season has cast doubt over Carrick's job security with United in the bottom half of the Premier League table after six games.

Asked if he thinks he will get time, Carrick said: "I do, yeah. But it's not something that I think about.

"I'm here to win football matches, but winning football matches short term with an eye on developing the club and pushing the club to be great.

"We haven't quite hit that level in recent times, and I understand that. But I don't think about myself in my own situation, about how much time or what it looks like for me. There's no individual that's more important than this football club."

Martinez's comments in midweek have struck a chord with some United fans who have shared his views about the running of the club for some time.

Internally, the matter is resolved, insists Carrick, after Martinez apologised on social media for the timing and public nature of his criticisms - but not the opinions themselves.

But, externally, the problem remains that Martinez's intervention has intensified the growing sense of dismay among fans after a poor start to the season.

Asked if he understands the frustration from the fans, Carrick said: "I've got frustrations about not getting the right results.

"The players have got frustrations about not getting the right results. My main focus is helping the team and driving this club forward and leading. Again, pushing the standards, pushing the expectations, pushing the achievements.

"As a whole club, we're very together on that. Emotion is quite good at times. Fire and passion is good at times. You've just got to use it and guide it in the right way. We'll certainly do that."

United have not won a Premier League title since 2013 in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season and have never genuinely come close to winning it in the intervening 13 years.

In his public outburst, Martinez called into question the ambition of United's hierarchy, who have set a target to win the league title by 2028, as set out by CEO Omar Berrada.

"We're striving to get back to the top," said Carrick when asked if United are ambitious enough. "We've been there before, repeatedly.

"We've had a bit of a spell when we haven't quite been there. For all of us, we're striving to get to the top and we're building. We're acknowledging that we're building and we're coming from behind.

"That's pretty obvious, it's factual. We're all pushing to get there. No one more so than me.

"I'm desperate to get this club to where we feel we belong. We've got to earn that and that comes from a lot of different things. We're all pushing in the same direction to try and achieve that."