Man United's summer window rated - Bryan Mbeumo fantastic, Benjamin Sesko alarm bells
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Credit: Imago
Oliver Walton
Wed 3 September 2025 18:42, UK
Man United aimed to bolster their forward line throughout the summer transfer window while letting go of players that were not wanted by Ruben Amorim.
Man United needed to make drastic changes to their playing squad following last season’s horrific showing in which they finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham in May.
Ruben Amorim focused his attention on bringing in attacking players, with the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo arriving at the club from RB Leipzig, Wolves and Brentford respectively.
Their incomings needed to be partly-funded by players leaving, and Amorim’s “bomb-squad” of those that he did not want at the club was mostly shifted out by the end of the window as Jadon Sancho sealed a late loan move to Aston Villa and Antony re-joined Real Betis.
United fans will not have been particularly impressed at what they have seen on the pitch so far this term, especially after they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town, but they will likely be encouraged at most of the business that their club has done over the last few months.
We have assessed all of their first-team signings and sales, either for transfer fees or on loan, and graded them between one and 10.
Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media
Matheus Cunha (£62.5m permanent move from Wolves) – 8
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Cunha’s arrival from Wolves was sealed early on in the window, as he had always seemed destined to leave the Molineux outfit following a turbulent end to the last campaign.
The hot-headed Brazil international has arrived at Old Trafford with a decent record in the Premier League, but whether he can translate his talismanic performances as the best player at Wolves to becoming a strong part of a group of top players at United is unclear.
Credit: Imago
He should score goals no matter if Amorim’s side improve on last season or not, and has scope to improve at 26-years-old, but he will need to start contributing quickly or could face the wrath of annoyed United fans.
Senne Lammens (£18.2m permanent move from Royal Antwerp) – 6
The Red Devils’ desperate scramble to sign a goalkeeper late in the window eventually saw them land on Belgian youth international Lammens, who joined from Royal Antwerp on deadline day.
Lammens is a relatively unknown stopper on these shores, but he was a standout in his home country after establishing himself as Antwerp’s first-choice in goal at just 22-years-old.
Credit: Imago
While he may prove to be a smart capture, you can’t help but feel like Amorim needed a goalkeeper of stature and presence who would command respect from his defence to join the club this summer, rather than a young rookie who may well suffer from the same confidence issues that have plagued Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.
Diego Leon (£3.3m permanent move from Cerro Porteno) – 5
Teenage full-back Leon officially joined the Red Devils from Cerro Porteno in early July after they initially signed him for just £3.3million [Manchester Evening News] in January.
He was handed chances to stake a claim at left-wing-back in pre-season, but is yet to make his competitive senior bow and seems unlikely to do so anytime soon over Diogo Dalot or Patrick Dorgu.
Leon is obviously one for the future and may well go on to impress, but right now his signing feels pretty pointless with United having been in real need of players who would make an instant impact this summer.
Benjamin Sesko (£64.3m permanent move from RB Leipzig) – 3 – Worst move
There is an argument to be made that United have bought Sesko a year earlier than they needed to, considering his lack of experience at the top level and relatively poor showings in the early stages of his career at Old Trafford.
The Slovenian striker joined the Red Devils for an initial £64.3million fee [BBC] in the hope that he can become their go-to man for goals up-front for many years to come.
Credit: Manh Tung – Breaking Media
Matt Le Tissier has told Football Insider that Sesko needs to man up for Man United after he took their 10th penalty against Grimsby last week, and while there is clearly potential for him to improve, this just seems like a bad buy that may only get worse as time passes.
Bryan Mbeumo (£71m permanent move from Brentford) – 9 – Star deal
Mbeumo’s capture was the centrepiece of United’s window, as he is a more proven scorer than both Sesko and Cunha and he is exactly the profile of player that they needed to sign.
The Cameroon international scored his first goal for the club in their recent 3-2 win against Burnley, and his all-action performance in that game proved what kind of threat he is going to bring to Amorim’s ranks going forward.
AppearancesGoalsAssists1394330Mbeumo’s Premier League career record
He has real room to grow too, at only 25-years-old, and his track record at Brentford and all the early signs so far point to him being a key player for the club as they look to return to glory in the years to come.
Marcus Rashford (loan with £26m option-to-buy to Barcelona) – 7
Rashford never looked to have a future at United past this summer after he fell out with Amorim last season and was resigned to going out on loan to Aston Villa in the January window.
He did impress under Unai Emery, but was still not welcomed back into the United fold at the end of last term, and so instead sought a move and sealed a surprise loan switch to Spanish champions Barcelona.
Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media
United will be pleased to have him off the books for now, but this does not score any higher as he could still return to be in limbo once again next summer if they do not take up the buy clause in his temporary deal.
Alejandro Garnacho (£40m permanent move to Chelsea) – 6
Garnacho’s move to Chelsea was confirmed late in the window after a summer of uncertainty around his future, but Amorim may well live to regret forcing him out if he goes to become a star at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentine forward has been one of United’s few decent attackers over the last few years, yet the Portuguese boss’ shift to playing wing-backs has seen him deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.
Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media
Chelsea will likely feel like they have come out on top in the move, considering the £40m [BBC] fee they paid for his services, and the Red Devils could rue the decision to allow Amorim to make him leave if he does not last much longer in charge.
Antony (£21.7m permanent move to Real Betis) – 7
United needed to get rid of Antony this summer at any cost, and they have done just that with the Brazilian winger moving back to Real Betis on a permanent deal.
He was a part of their bomb squad of players that were seeking exits throughout the window, and a return to the Seville-based side always seemed the most likely.
Antony was given a hero’s welcome by Betis fans upon his return earlier in the week, and everyone connected to him and United will simply be glad that his Old Trafford chapter has come to an official end.
Credit: Imago
Rasmus Hojlund (loan with £38m obligation-to-buy to Napoli) – 8
Hojlund had long been mooted as the most likely of Amorim’s existing strikers to depart, ahead of Joshua Zirkzee, so it was no surprise to see him seal a late loan switch to Napoli.
United will again be pleased to have him off their books, and even better for them is that he will permanently leave the club if Napoli qualify for the Champions League, which certainly looks likely after they won Serie A last season.
Credit: Imago
Jadon Sancho (loan to Aston Villa) – 8
Sancho is another in a long line of United players who needed to leave this summer, and simply getting him out will please many connected to the club.
The England winger has joined Aston Villa on loan for the season, and even though they are covering some of his wages, he will not be their problem once the campaign ends and his contract expires.
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Loanees – Toby Collyer (West Brom), Harry Amass (Sheffield Wednesday), Dan Gore (Rotherham United), Ethan Wheatley (Northampton Town) – 7
The club saw fit to allow a number of younger players to move away on loan for the season this summer.
Collyer and Amass are probably the pick of the bunch, having each played more regularly for the first-team and joined Championship teams, but all four of them will hope to do well to thrust themselves back into Amorim’s plans for 2025/26.