Manchester United remain in the dark when it comes to expiring contracts and possible transfer dealings, admits first-team coach Michael Carrick.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause confusion for clubs around the world, with schedules having been torn up during a period of enforced lockdown.
Competitive action is starting to be eased back, with the Bundesliga set to return in Germany, but no green light has been given in England to the Premier League.
That means those with deals running down – such as the loan United struck for Odion Ighalo in January – may not cover the end of the 2019-20 campaign.
It is also unclear as to when the next recruitment window will open, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer among those waiting to discover when he will be cleared to spend and what his revised budget may be.
Quizzed on the current situation by United’s official website, Carrick said: “Honestly, I’m not sure how that’s going to work. I don’t think it’s been sorted.
“Contracts, for instance, how do they work? At every club, players’ contracts are up; how do you sign players? I don’t think it’s been sorted. It’s not something I’m directly involved in but we don’t even know when we’re officially going back to training yet.
“It’s so much further down the line and it’s a tough one to plan for. Then you start talking about: how much money is going to be left in the game to sign players? Not from us specifically, but from all the clubs, and how does that affect the whole transfer circus?”
While United are in no position to start chasing down top targets, Carrick feels there is plenty of cause for optimism at Old Trafford. A spark had been rediscovered prior to football shutting down, with Solskjaer guiding his side back into contention for a top four finish and major silverware.
Former midfielder Carrick added: “There’s certainly a really good feeling in and amongst the players and the staff, and in the club.
“We’re not getting ahead of ourselves as we’ve not achieved anything yet. We’re not getting carried away, but there is certainly a nice connection about the place. We’re trying to do things in the right way.
“Ole has come in and he’s doing everything in the right way for the club. He’s talking about the whole club and the fans, and what it means, to have a connection with everyone.
“I think that’s quite powerful as it builds. I think that gets you through tough patches as well, which we’ve had to deal with, but if you do it for the right reasons and you mean well, and there’s progression, then hopefully that means more. Hopefully we can carry on with the progression we’ve been on.
“I’ve always felt, even when we had those runs last year and they weren’t easy to deal with, I always thought we’d be alright, and time will tell if that pans out. At the moment, I’m excited with what’s ahead.”