Manchester United’s lack of goals throughout 2024/25 was a real concern for everyone involved with the club.
The Red Devils finished their previous campaign in just 15th place, and were unable to register double digits of league goals for the first team.
The departure of Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho, through the summer window, lost 23% of their target from the final campaign, indicating the need for additional goals on the part of Ruben Amorim.
However, spending was not alien to United supporters as Erik Ten Hag makes the changes he wanted during his tenure at Old Trafford, above £600 million.
Despite previous claims from the class that huge money is not spent during the offseason, he now has two top-level talents within the ranks in the form of Brian Mbemo and Benjamin Sesco.
What Mbeumo and Sesco bring to United
Mbeumo’s move to join United may have set the board a massive £710 million, but will offer the side a proven, talented Premier League option in search of success at Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old scored 20 goals on England’s top flights throughout 2024/25, but his underlying statistics further highlight his quality within the offensive division.
The Cameroonians ranked in the 96th percentile for goals per shot, but ranked in the 90th percentile in the 90th percentile.
He not only looked at his ability to find the net, but also created opportunities for those around him, as seen in the rankings at the 91st percentile on a completed cross per 90 people.
These numbers are extremely beneficial for many players in the club, but nothing beats the new big money additions of their peers.
Like Mbeumo, the former RB Leipzig man has put the board back to over £70 million, but is undoubtedly considered an immediate and long-term solution to the club’s disastrous scoring record.
The 22-year-old won 21 nets in all competitions last season, but ranked in the 88th percentile with completed dribblings per 90.
While there is no denying that a big money talent will pass the managers a quality that has been lacking recently to the manager, it may be better for the hierarchy to continue to hold on another talent.
Former United star who surpassed Mbeumo & Sesko
As seen in Hojlund’s recent dream spell, numerous big money strikers have tried to succeed at United.
Dane arrived with high hopes after the club branched out £72 million for signing in the summer of 2023, but his time at Old Trafford was nothing but a disaster.
He was in a 21-game goal drought with only four league goals last season.
If they had kept Belgian striker Romeru Lukaku, then huge funds would have been saved.
In the summer of 2017, United ousted a £75 million mammoth for signatures towards the center to strengthen the frontline under Jose Mourinho.
Such a person has created a great deal of excitement among the fanbase, like a recent addition, but the player certainly endured the hype he had arrived at Old Trafford.
He scored 27 goals in his debut year for Manchester, his second 15 goals, and reached 42 goals in 96 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils.
But Lukaku, labelled “world class” by fellow professional Jordan Graham, leaves the sidelines just two years later.
Fast forward to the present, the 32-year-old is currently in a business with Naples – he still has the clinical edge that attacked Antonio Conte’s aspect of the glory in 2024/25.
Lukaku – Serie A Statistics (2024/25) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | totalling |
The game has been played | 36 |
Goals and Assistance | twenty four |
Goals and assists per 90 | 0.76 |
Goals for each target shot | 0.60 |
The air won | 1.8 |
Accuracy | 74% |
Shot creation action | 2.4 |
The drawn foul | 1.2 |
Statistics via FBREF | |
During such a campaign, he was able to outweigh the new additions of Sesko and Mbeumo in many regions – posting more assists than the duo (11) and having the ability to create the genocide despite his central role.
The Belgians are also ranked in the top 5% of European top five league strikers, with a tally of 90 (0.76) that is higher than United’s new big money addition – a threat still posing in the attacking area.
At 32, there is no denying that the former United star has been in the back end of his career, but he still has the talent to inspire under Amorim in Old Trafford, scoring 128 mega goals since his departure. Comparing it to Mbeumo (79) and Sesko (51) there is a big difference.
If they had hugged him in the last six years, the hierarchy could have saved millions of pounds – if there was no doubt a chance of success and a centre-forward placed in the theatre of dreams.