Michael Carrick welcomes arrival of Marouane Fellaini at Manchester United

Michael Carrick (L) welcomes the arrival of Marouane Fellaini (R) at Manchester United (Getty Images)

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick is happy to welcome Marouane Fellaini to the club, even if his arrival means more competition for a starting spot in midfield.

Fellaini, 25, arrived from Manchester United manager David Moyes’ former club, Everton, on transfer deadline day for a fee of £27.5 million.

Despite the increased competition for starting spots, Carrick has welcomed Fellaini to the club with open arms.

The English midfielder told Manchester Evening News: “It’s something I welcome.

“The more top quality players you have in your squad, whether it’s in my position or not, the better it is for the team.

“It’s not a case of me thinking ‘I might not be in the team’. I will have to play well to be in it, regardless.”

Carrick himself is coming off a fantastic season, which saw him help his side to the Premier League trophy, and added:

“I can’t deny last season probably was my best one. My form was good and I was consistent.

“But it wasn’t like I suddenly jumped from one level to the next. I didn’t do anything differently to what I had done in the years before.”