Manchester United plans to sign one or two more players in the summer window, but even a £40 million defensive midfielder is considered too expensive by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It's not a must-buy.

Will Manchester United sign more players in the final two weeks of the transfer window? Many believe they should, but no one can guarantee it, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe seems determined to stick to rational spending. This is a stark contrast to the pre-summer window rumors that the Red Devils would be the busiest team this summer.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has disclosed that whether Manchester United's so-called third midfielder joins depends on the availability of suitable opportunities in the market. If no good candidate emerges, United will ask Carrick to make the best use of the current squad.

It is reported that Fulham's Sander Berge is now Manchester United's primary target for a defensive midfielder, but the Norwegian international's price may exceed expectations. Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic said: "For a player like Berge, I think United could get him for around £40 million."

However, Ratcliffe's Ineos team believes that Berge's fair price is £25 million. But since Fulham spent that much to sign Berge, it's almost a pipe dream for United to get him at the same price.

According to the Daily Mail, Brighton might lower their asking price for Cameroonian midfielder Carlos Baleba, and now a transfer fee of £60 million to £65 million could be accepted.

The 22-year-old defensive midfielder had agreed to join United last year at this time, but the "Seagulls" demanded £100 million, making the deal impossible. Now, United seems uninterested, and Newcastle United may consider signing him.

Transfer expert Ben Jacobs says United are expected to sign at least one more player, possibly two, in the final moments of the summer window. If they fail to do so, fans will be disappointed with the actual results of a transfer window that was touted to spend £300 million and bring in multiple players.

Currently, United have officially announced six new signings, but only three are senior first-team players, and only two came with transfer fees: Andre Santos for £50 million and Youri Tielemans for £35 million.

The club is very pleased with the signing of Santos and believes the new player has quickly adapted to the new environment. Santos, along with Eden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu, are the only players who have participated in all six friendly matches, with particularly impressive performances in the first two. However, his display against AC Milan was poor, exposing his lack of being a pure defensive midfielder.

Undoubtedly, Carrick's squad remains relatively thin, and United's lack of income from player sales has hindered their next moves in the market. Insiders insist that the success or failure of the transfer window should be judged after the deadline on September 1, not before.

However, Santos is almost certain to start in the Premier League opener against Hull City, which already indicates that United's transfers have not gone entirely as planned. The 22-year-old Brazilian has only started 13 times in the Premier League, mostly as a substitute for Chelsea.

Santos insists he is ready to replace Casemiro as United's No. 6 midfielder. But over the past 40 years, United's main midfielders have often been players with both reputation and strength, such as Casemiro, Scholes, Roy Keane, and current manager Carrick.

United may have a decent number of midfielders, but none is a fast-running, wide-ranging, and defensive-minded holding midfielder. Mason Mount has performed well in the preseason friendlies, but given his poor injury record, it's hard to rely on him as the third midfielder. In the match against Paris Saint-Germain, Mount was taken off "as a precaution" after a kick and then missed three consecutive friendlies.

Manchester United are still negotiating for Leicester City's 18-year-old talent Louis Page, but he is still in the growth stage of his career, not a ready-made player, and he is not a defensive midfielder either.