Manchester United needed a good transfer window this summer to provide the springboard required to surge back up the Premier League table after a historically poor campaign.
The Red Devils landed 15th in 2024–25, seven places lower than their previous worst finish in the post-1992 era. United lost more matches (18) than they won (11) for the first time in 35 years, and averaged just 1.16 goals per game in the league.
Ruben Amorim’s arrival midway through the season brought with it a very different tactical setup, one that has needed adjustment time and new personnel to get right.
United remain a work in progress, impressing in a dominant performance against Arsenal without translating that into a positive result. They’ve subsequently played well in patches against Fulham and Burnley, collecting four points from those games, but have also suffered the humiliation of a Carabao Cup elimination at the hands of League Two’s Grimsby Town.
Best Signing: Bryan Mbeumo
United’s biggest problem in 2024–25 was not conceding goals, it was failing to score enough of them. Across the whole league campaign, they drew blanks on 15 occasions, almost half their total games. It meant that, all too often, when a less than ironclad defence leaked even a single goal, winning became a much bigger challenge.
Up front was the obvious place to strengthen. United went big early by triggering the £62.5 million ($84 million) release clause in Matheus Cunha’s contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Brazilian racking up 15 goals and six assists in one of the few teams that finished below his new club.
Getting Bryan Mbeumo through the door from Brentford took a little longer after a stand-off over the transfer fee—an overall package worth £71 million was agreed. But the Cameroon international already looks like a top signing, proven in the Premier League after 20 goals in the competition last season, and offering United a more direct way of attacking.
Straight off the bat against Arsenal, it was clear to see Mbeumo’s threat, the constant out-ball into the right inside channel as United targeted quick transition from defence to attack. With a bit more familiarity across the front line, he promises to be a great new source of chance creation and goals, finding the net in the league for the first time in the 3–2 win over Burnley at Old Trafford.
Biggest Gamble: Benjamin Sesko
Where Cunha and Mbeumo have demonstrated their ability to score and create goals in the Premier League, United’s most expensive summer acquisition has not.
Benjamin Šeško has a high ceiling but remains a raw prospect. The 22-year-old netted 14 and 13 league goals across his two Bundesliga seasons, respectable but not outstanding outputs.
Things didn’t fall right for Rasmus Højlund in his time as United’s leading No. 9 and the Dane has gone to Napoli on loan with a £38 million obligation to buy next summer. Amorim appears to be taking care not to put too much pressure on his new striker to avoid similar disappointment.
Šeško’s three Premier League appearances have all been as a substitute as he adapts more slowly to life in the Manchester United cauldron and the expectations that come with it, especially for someone with an overall price tag in excess of £70 million.
It’s already apparent that Šeško will be tasked with finishing the chances that others provide him, a penalty area striker rather than someone who will be involved in all-round play. The Slovenia international had just eight touches of the ball when he arrived for the final 18 minutes plus stoppage time against Burnley, two of which were off-target headers from decent opportunities. He will need to be more clinical to be the goalscorer United are craving, but the potential is there.
Shrewd Business: Senne Lammens
Goalkeeper has been a position of huge scrutiny, since even before David de Gea’s release in 2023 split opinion. Amorim has favoured Altay Bayındır in the Premier League, while André Onana has had to make do with the Carabao Cup disaster after sitting out pre-season injured. Neither have been in top form and it seems United are looking to secure the gloves in the long-term
Emiliano Martínez was on the market and reportedly wanted to make the move from Aston Villa. The Argentine is the Yashin Trophy holder and reigning Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper, but a deal didn’t make much financial sense, with Martínez already on huge wages and Villa expected to ask for around double what United have committed to part with for Lammens.
The 23-year-old is younger too and has been tipped to eventually replace Belgian legend Thibaut Courtois as the country’s No. 1 in the long-term.
Lammens hasn’t been brought in to immediately be No. 1 for United. His initial role is a little ambiguous, with reports only stating that he is intended to compete for that place, helpfully removing at least some of the pressure when the spotlight is already super intense.
Man Utd’s Transfer Window Grade
United’s two main objectives in the transfer window, strengthening up front and offloading players not part of Amorim’s plans, were largely achieved.
As far as the latter is concerned, the club will take substantial losses on Antony following his permanent move to Real Betis and the aforementioned Højlund. But there is at least an opportunity to draw a line under both and move on. Alejandro Garnacho’s £40 million exit to Chelsea is considered ‘pure profit’ in PSR terms, while there is a 10% sell-on clause, although some might argue United should have held out for a higher transfer fee.
There was no permanent exit for Marcus Rashford, yet Barcelona helpfully agreed to take on his full salary, marking a huge saving in the Old Trafford accounts. Aston Villa will also cover some of Jadon Sancho’s wages, with the option for a second loan in 2026–27. Securing permanent transfers for both would have been preferable, but neither will be left in the wilderness in Manchester and there is still an opportunity for the pair to play their way towards a more lucrative and firmer exit.
Where United fans might feel let down is the lack of a new central midfielder. That area of the team has appeared vulnerable in the early weeks of 2025–26, but interest in Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba came to nothing over a prohibitive price tag. Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller is thought to have turned down a possible transfer in order to stay in the Bundesliga for one more year.
Good, not perfect, but far from bad feels an appropriate summary.
Overall Grade: B
Man Utd Incoming Transfers: Summer 2025
Man Utd Outgoing Transfers: Summer 2025
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Grading Man Utd’s 2025 Summer Transfer Window.
