Manchester United entered the summer transfer window at a crossroads, the latest crossroad in a long, winding line of critical junctures over the past interminable period of too many wrong turns.
But is there hope for the Red Devils? While there have been false dawns across this last decade of misery, INEOS and Ruben Amorim are working in concert to turn things around, and the market business across the past several months bespeaks not only the club’s ambitions but the club’s newfound maturity too.
Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha both cost a pretty penny, but the wide forwards have plenty of Premier League experience between them and have each come off the back of first-class campaigns.
Matches (starts)
33 (29)
38 (38)
Goals
15
20
Assists
1.8
7
Shots (on target)*
3.3 (1.3)
2.2 (1.1)
Big chances missed
2
9
Pass completion
79%
74%
Big chances created
13
17
Key passes*
1.8
1.8
Dribbles*
1.8
1.4
Tackles + interceptions*
1.7
1.7
Duels won*
5.5
4.7
More importantly, though, neither has yet proven themselves at one of Europe’s elite outfits. Now’s their chance.
After finishing 15th in the Premier League last season and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, turning this ship around was always going to be a big ask, but at this particular crossroads, perhaps the right turn has been taken.
A central striker was also needed, and herein lies the more worrying addition of Benjamin Sesko. However, there’s no denying the 22-year-old is one of the most promising young goal scorers of his generation.
Why Man Utd signed Benjamin Sesko
Two years ago, Man United paid £72m to Atalanta in exchange for up-and-coming centre-forward Rasmus Hojlund. The Danish footballer has since fallen by the wayside and is actively being pushed toward an exit before the transfer deadline.
Sesko has arrived as Hojlund’s replacement, and hopefully an upgrade. He leaves RB Leipzig to join the squad at the Theatre of Dreams, signing for a similarly expensive £74m fee.
While the Slovenian only scored 13 goals from 33 Bundesliga matches last term, his power and pace and potential all suggest that United might have hit the jackpot, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even declaring that United have signed themselves “the new Haaland” for Sesko’s fearsome physicality and playing style.
And with such confident Premier League-proven partners in Cunha and Mbeumo flanking him, Sesko might just be the jackpot signing that has been needed for so long.
However, the Devils aren’t done yet. Indeed, Amorim is hoping to sign one or two more players before the end of the transfer window, and is targeting a Premier League star who has been singled out as the finest player within Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions squad.
Man Utd launch bid for Premier League star
According to Football Transfers, Manchester United have made an official approach to Crystal Palace for their captain Marc Guehi, who has entered the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.
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Liverpool are the clear frontrunners in the race, with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur keen too, but United’s exploratory offer, looking to gauge the minutiae of a potential package, suggests there is encouragement that INEOS could pull off something special.
However, the Anfield side are wary about meeting the Eagles’ valuation of at least £40m, and with Steve Parish eager to cash in rather than lose the centre-back for free, the chance is there for United to swoop in and seal a statement signing.
Why Man Utd want Marc Guehi
Crystal Palace signed Guehi from Chelsea for £18m in 2021, and he has since made 132 appearances in the Premier League. Should he be set to leave his current club, he would do so having led them to their first two top titles: the FA Cup and the Community Shield.
He’s the real deal, and, aged 25 and with a wealth of experience in England, would continue that trend of Man United signing from divisional rivals, signing players hungry to work their way to the very top of the game.
Given Guehi’s standing within the English game and the core components deep within his skill set, tailored toward the top end of the defensive ladder, Man United would surely strike gold by sealing this signature, marking an even better signing than Sesko.
Though landing a Hojlund upgrade has been regarded as important for United this summer, so too has addressing the leaky defence, which shipped the ninth-highest number of xG (expected goals) in the league last season (55.1), via FotMob.
That’s not good enough for a team of Man United’s stature, although perhaps to be expected given that they finished 15th.
But Guehi is a “monster in defence”, as said by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, who won 63% of his ground duels in the Premier League last year, via Sofascore.
Moreover, the defender ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for through balls per 90, as per FBref, so he has the ball-playing expertise to advance Amorim’s transitional system, picking out promising players, in space, well ahead of him, such is the manager’s expectation of maintaining a high line.
Having established himself as a mainstay for the England international team over the past year, prominent for Gareth Southgate’s last hurrah at EURO 2024, it’s surely a bid worth making. Well, United’s newfound market shrewdness has been ratified, for they have indeed made their first approach.
Analyst Ben Mattinson actually described Guehi as being “England’s best player” following the international campaign.
Ultimately, Man United needed a new striker, and they’ve signed one. But they also need reshaping across the park, and Guehi would provide an instantaneous and dramatic lift to a backline that flattered to deceive last season, whereas the jury is very much out for Sesko, yet to pass his first tests in English football.