Manchester United spent around £217.5million on new additions this summer, with a heavy focus on recruitment at the top end of the pitch.
Ruben Amorim’s side have started the season in an up and down manner. The Red Devils have won four of their eight Premier League games and currently sit ninth on 13 points.
One of the biggest upsets was their second-round exit in the Carabao Cup, losing on penalties to Grimsby Town.
However, in recent weeks, Man Utd have managed to win three of their last four games, including an important 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield. And the Red Devils’ new signings are starting to settle in.
In this article, we’ll cover
Senne Lammens
While most of the funds were allocated to the attacking unit this summer, a change between the sticks was still needed for Man Utd. And Senne Lammens was the man to come in, joining from Royal Antwerp for around £18m.
The 23-year-old is already receiving high praise, being compared to the iconic David De Gea, after his excellent performance against Liverpool at Anfield.
Lammens is averaging 4.0 saves per 90 minutes early in his Man Utd career. He has conceded just 0.5 goals per 90 and claimed 2.0 crosses per 90.
The Belgian shot-stopper is also proving himself on the ball, being comfortable in the first phase of build up before launching it long to kickstart Man Utd attacks.
With Andre Onana struggling in his few seasons at the club, it will be a relief for Man Utd fans to have a steady figure between the sticks, keeping them in games and gathering momentum for his side.
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Matheus Cunha
Matheus Cunha was the first signing of the summer, joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers for around £62.5m.
The Brazilian has already shown he can make things happen with little service, often being a solo outlet for Wolves, dragging them up the pitch with his carrying qualities and creating chances.
His versatility is something already helping in his early Man Utd days under Amorim. He’s been used as both a left attacking midfielder and a striker at times, acting as a false nine.
Cunha is both attempting (3.67) and completing (1.83) the most take-ons per 90 for Man Utd so far this season. He often picks it up in crowded area, looking to shrug off defenders to bring the ball forward into dangerous areas.
The biggest question mark so far around Cunha’s addition stems from his shot-volume. It was the highest in the Premier League last season among players with 1,500+ minutes, averaging 3.81 shots per 90.
Cunha is once again averaging some of the highest shot tallies in the league this season. The Brazilian has taken 3.46 shots per 90 so far, which could have a knock on affect in the attacking department at Man Utd.
Bryan Mbeumo
Which brings us on nicely to Bryan Mbeumo. The 26-year-old has already scored three goals this season in his nine appearances, also providing one assist.
Mbeumo is a primary outlet for this Man Utd team under Amorim, offering the team a vertical option in behind, running off the shoulder and looking to penetrate the opposition defensive line.
So far this season, Mbeumo is averaging 2.62 shots per 90, an increase from his 2.24 shots per 90 last season at Brentford, which saw him net 0.53 goals per 90.
When configuring this Man Utd attack, the biggest question would’ve been optimising each player within it, getting Mbeumo into his best zones often enough for him to replicate the output he put up at Brentford.
Having the highest shot-volume player in the league (Cunha) could’ve made this challenging, with Mbeumo missing out on chances due to speculative shots being taken instead of finding his runs. However, we are yet to see a huge issue in this department, so for now it’s just one to keep an eye on.
Benjamin Sesko
And lastly, the young and exciting centre-forward signing, Benjamin Sesko.
The 22-year-old striker has been on the radar of plenty of top sides for a while now, possessing a unique 6’5″ frame with power, pace and technical quality which makes him a very intriguing profile.
Sesko is another player who loves a shot from outside the box, already averaging 2.83 shots per 90 at Man Utd with a 46.15% shooting accuracy.
But being 6’5″, Sesko is already proving to be an asset for Amorim’s side who look to play vertical and direct, with the Slovenian striker winning 4.13 aerial duels per 90, contesting 8.91 per 90 and therefore having a success rate of 46.3%.
Even when he doesn’t make the first contact, having a figure like Sesko up top requires a certain level of attention from opposition defenders, allowing those around him to pick up loose second balls, and generate attacks from there.
With all four signings offering positive signs early in the season, the question will be more around how they gel as a collective over time and the results that wield from that, rather than the individual quality and ability of each player.