Manchester United entered this summer’s transfer window needing to respond to their worst-ever Premier League season; a 15th-place finish and Europa League final defeat to Tottenham left Ruben Amorim, in his first full window as manager, with plenty to fix.
United moved decisively; Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo Diego Leon and Benjamin Sesko arrived in deals worth over £200m, while young goalkeeper Senne Lammens was signed on Deadline Day.
They sold Antony and Alejandro Garnacho permanently, with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Rasmus Hojlund sent on loan.
The approach reflected a new data-driven strategy, led by director of football Jason Wilcox. At its core were four questions:
Is the squad better than last season’s? Did they land their marquee targets? Do the signings fit the new model on age, profile and cost? Did they offload high earners outside Amorim’s plans?
The club believe the answer to all four is yes.
Why Attack Was Prioritised
United’s hierarchy focused relentlessly on goals, last season, only the three relegated clubs and Everton scored fewer. For a team built on attacking football, that was unacceptable.
Cunha (£62.5m), Mbeumo (£71m) and Sesko (£73.7m) were identified through a mix of scouting and analytics as “best in class” for their roles — and all were secured on sustainable wages.
By contrast, defensive reinforcements were pushed down the list; despite conceding 54 goals, United’s defensive record was still better than many teams outside the top nine. The calculation was simple: scoring more was essential to climbing the table.
The Goalkeeper Call
One of the more striking decisions came in goal, with Emi Martinez and Gianluigi Donnarumma both available, United instead opted for 21-year-old Senne Lammens for £17.3m.
Why? Martinez, 33, would have cost over £30m with high wages and little resale value. Donnarumma, world-class but expensive, was ruled out for similar reasons.
Lammens, meanwhile, ranked among Europe’s best young keepers for “goals prevented” and progressive passing. A long-term bet that fits the model.
Clearing the “Bomb Squad”
Equally important was trimming the squad. Antony, bought for £86m in 2022, left for £21.7m. Hojlund, once a £72m signing, joined Napoli on loan with an obligation of £43m. Sancho departed for Aston Villa on loan, with most of his wages covered.
The club even secured a record £40m sale for academy product Garnacho, Rashford’s wages are fully covered by Barcelona during his loan. Only Tyrell Malacia remains after efforts to move him to Elche failed late in the window.
The “bomb squad” may have cost United nearly £100m in lost revenue, but the clearout has reduced noise around the dressing room and eased financial strain.
Midfield Questions
One area still dividing opinion is midfield. Some fans — and Gary Neville — called for reinforcements, especially with Kobbie Mainoo struggling for minutes.
United, however, see Casemiro revitalised, Bruno Fernandes thriving deeper, and Cunha taking on the No.10 role.
While Brighton’s Carlos Baleba was admired, United refused to meet a £100m price tag. Mainoo, meanwhile, was told he is not for sale despite asking to explore a move for more game time.
A Work in Progress
United know they are still far from challenging Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City but they believe this window represents a reset: strategic, disciplined, and forward-looking.
The juggernaut is finally being steered back on course, progress will take time, but after years of scattergun recruitment, United’s hierarchy feel this was a crucial first step.