Manchester United’s recruitment staff are preparing to go back into the market for a center-forward when the window opens, according to a report in The Athletic by Laurie Whitwell and Beren Cross. The 29-year-old Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Leeds United is one of the options being considered.

The push for a mid-season signing has been forced by Benjamin Sesko’s shin injury, which has now ruled the Slovenia international out until at least January. Sesko has not played since the League Cup defeat at Brighton on 16 September. United’s medical staff have consulted specialists and chosen rest over surgery.

That leaves Carrick’s attack dangerously thin. United sit 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone, and have gone eight matches in all competitions without a win.

Carrick kept on for Chelsea trip

The manager’s own position was weighed at Carrington on Monday, with director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada discussing the response to Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth. Sky Sports reported that the club will give Carrick the chance to turn the situation around, starting at Chelsea on Saturday.

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Carrick stayed at work as normal and ran training preparations as if nothing had happened.

Speaking to the media after the Bournemouth loss, he said: “I’m not expecting anything in particular, to be honest. I’m carrying on as normal, and I love this place.”

United finished third in the Premier League in 2025-26 under Carrick after his appointment in January 2026. A winless autumn has turned that platform into a crisis in the space of a few weeks.

Calvert-Lewin’s Leeds form

Calvert-Lewin has resurfaced on United’s list in part because he keeps scoring. He got the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with United at Elland Road on 18 October, controlling Tarik Muharemovic’s knockdown from a corner in the 51st minute and firing past Senne Lammens, and he now has 20 goals in 49 appearances since joining Leeds on a free transfer from Everton in 2025.

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United looked at him on that free move in 2025 and backed off over fitness concerns, according to The Athletic. Just over a year on, with Sesko sidelined and Matheus Cunha carrying the striker load alone, those concerns are being weighed against a more immediate need.

Leeds expected to say no

Leeds have no appetite for losing their top scorer in the middle of the campaign. Calvert-Lewin’s deal at Elland Road runs to June 2028, and the club are considering offering him a new contract rather than entertaining mid-season offers from a league rival. The Athletic itself calls a January agreement unlikely for practical, financial and political reasons.

Carrick’s side host Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday 3 November before facing Aston Villa on 8 November.

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