‘Never say never’ – Carrick open to late transfer activity at Man Utd

Michael Carrick has refused to rule out Manchester United making moves ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline, saying: "Never say never."

Carrick has had a remarkable impact since taking the reins for his second interim spell at Old Trafford, overseeing victories over Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Red Devils are fourth in the Premier League, one point clear of Chelsea in fifth.

However, with the top half of the table remaining congested, everyone down to Sunderland in 11th is within five points of Carrick’s side.

It has been suggested that United could move for a central midfielder, while Patrick Dorgu’s hamstring injury, which will sideline him for up to 10 weeks, has left them light on the left flank.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s meeting withFulham, Carrick was asked if he expected United to be active in the window’s final days.

"Never say never. A lot can happen and situations can be thrown up," the former midfielder said.

"Sometimes it is in our control, sometimes not. I am pretty calm. We have shown what we are capable of as a team."

Carrick was also asked about Bruno Fernandes’ long-term future at Old Trafford, after the United skipper rejected a lucrative move to Al-Hilal before the start of the season.

But that is an issue that will be dealt with further down the line, with Fernandes entering the final 12 months of his contract with the club in June.

Carrick said of Fernandes: "We all want to win things. We all want to get better. Wewant to improve as a team.

"We want to be successful and that’s something we’ve got to work towards together, but Bruno’s been fantastic since I’ve been here. He was fantastic when I was here before [in 2021], so I’ve got nothing but good things to say about him.

"That’s not to get too far ahead.That [his future] is on the agenda a little bit, but my main agenda is getting through the game on Sunday with Fulham."