Manchester United insist they can compete for major honours despite spending far less than their Premier League rivals this summer, with head coach Michael Carrick arguing that money alone does not determine success. United spent £148m on new signings, a fraction of the £458m Manchester City spent, the £300m-plus laid out by both Chelsea and Tottenham, and even less than newly promoted Ipswich, prompting some criticism of the club's transfer strategy, notably a lack of cover at left-back and up front for striker Benjamin Sesko.

United's costliest addition was Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton, in a deal potentially worth £70m, still below the club's £89m record for Paul Pogba a decade ago. The restrained outlay comes against a backdrop of substantial club debt, with borrowings estimated at £1.29bn and roughly £852m paid in interest since the Glazer family's 2005 takeover; the club also took on an extra £91.92m refinancing bonds in June and has yet to detail funding for a proposed stadium costing more than £2bn. Chief executive Omar Berrada maintains United can operate sustainably while still competing for trophies, and Carrick believes his squad, bolstered by Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, is stronger than the one that finished third last season.