(Credit: Hasan Karim - Breaking Media, Sky Sports)

Oliver Walton

Sat 16 August 2025 18:23, UK

Paul Merson does not believe that Man United will make clear improvements under Ruben Amorim this season despite their summer spending due to one major factor.

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Man United’s 2024/25 season could not have gone much worse, with Amorim unable to help them improve any following his appointment as manager last November.

They eventually finished 15th in the Premier League under the Portuguese head-coach, and also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham, with the club investing heavily in the playing squad this summer as a result of their struggles.

Matheus Cunha kicked off their incomings as he joined from Wolves in June, and they have also sealed the captures of both Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

Amorim is yet to make any major adjustments to his midfield so far, with Carlos Baleba unlikely to move to Old Trafford this summer, and that is a major reason why Merson is not confident that they will improve any this season despite their big spending.

(Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media)

The Red Devils take on Arsenal in their first game of the new campaign on Sunday (17 August), and even though they have made some major improvements to their forward line, former footballer and current pundit Merson predicted them to continue to struggle due to their lack of quality in midfield on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday (16 August).

He said: “I don’t fancy them one iota to do anything this season, one iota.

For all the talent they’ve got up front they just won’t dominate football matches in my opinion.

Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media

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“Liverpool won the league last year – very good midfield.

Man City were one of the greatest teams – as soon as their midfield fell apart with Rodri, never done anything, so it just shows you they’re so open, Man United, and nothing’s gonna change there.

“People are gonna say ‘Oh they’ve got the talent going forward’.

They had talent, Rashford, Garnacho, people like that have been up through Man United.

These are coming in from teams that if they get a draw at Bournemouth they’re going home singing on the coach.

“It’s not the case at Man United.

I think the pressure will tell and I’d be shocked if, if they finish in the top eight I think they’ve done well.”

Football Insider verdict

Football Insider revealed on Saturday (16 August) that Man United would have to pay £100million up-front to sign Baleba this summer, with numerous sales likely needed for them to be able to afford a big-money move for the Cameroonian following the arrivals of Sesko, Cunha and Mbeumo.

AppearancesGoalsAssistsYellow Cards784215Baleba’s Brighton career stats

The 21-year-old box-to-box midfielder made 40 appearances in all competitions for the Seagulls, and Brighton named Baleba as their Young Player of the Season in May after he won the Premier League’s April Goal of the Month award for a stunning strike against West Ham [Brighton].

It would make little sense to spend a smaller fee on a player who is not going to impact Amorim’s first-team when they can just go big next year on Baleba, and so Sesko’s arrival could well spell the end of the north-west giants’ big summer spending.

Any move away is still down to Brighton being happy to sell, and they don’t need to let him leave unless a fee that they cannot turn down is offered, which seems unlikely to come from United right now.

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