Man United has left their mark on the transfer star of this summer with three statement signing sessions.
After completing the 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a negative target difference, Manchester United should have given priority to attacking signing sessions in last summer's transfer star. Instead, they added three defenders, one defensive-fellow and only one attacker.
Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt arrived from Bayern Munich and Leny Yoro checked in from Lille to strengthen the defense of United before Manuel Ugarte arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on Deadline day to limit midfield.
On the other side of the field, Joshua Zirkzee was signed from Bologna to challenge Rasmus Hojlund on the tip of the attack. Neither of the players will be in Ruben Amorim's Start XI against Arsenal this weekend.
Although United should have given priority last summer to the addition of a starting striker, they added a midfielder instead. In their defense there was a lot of logic behind that reason.
During the 2023/24 campaign, United was regularly exposed in midfield. Opponents fully benefited from gaping holes in the middle of the field that opened in the midst of Casemiro's stunning decline of the season before.
Regardless of how impressive Casemiro was during the 2022/23 campaign, he would only offer a short -term solution. United needed younger legs in the engine room and they identified Ugarte as their top goal, despite former manager Erik ten Hag, ranked him third on his personal wish list.
Ugarte arrived on Deadline Day and did not make his debut the other side of the international break in September.
The season was more than a month old by the time he finally made his first Premier League start, alongside Kobbie Mainoo for the 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in Old Trafford on September 30.
Although there is still a clear need for United to sign a midfielder again this summer, strengthening that specific area of the field was not their most important priority when the window was opened on 1 June. Instead, prioritize the signing of a striker.
After they had received both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo on time for the pre-season Tour through the United States, United added another attacker to their ranks on Saturday, so that the center-forward they desperately needed.
Benjamin Sesko has arrived from RB Leipzig for a first fee of £ 66.4 million and completed the attacking rebuilding of United. The 22-year-old signed a five-year deal and has moved to Old Trafford in the past term after a season of 21 goals in Germany.
Sesko have added to the signing sessions of Mbeumo and Cunha Before the start of the season is a huge boost for United and Amorim, who must feel incredibly tempted to unleash his three new attackers as a trio against Arsenal on Sunday for the first time.
After missing Liam Delap, seeing Viktor Gyokeres Goiito Arsenal and running the rule on Ollie Watkins only to see that Aston Villa made it crystal clear that he was not for sale, there was a risk that United's striker was still able to be in the final stadia of the window.
Sesko was not their first-choice option, but they have landed herself one of Europe's most appreciated strikers, whose name has been linked to various Big-Note clubs in recent years.
When securing his signature, United ensured that their biggest objective on their task list was checked before a ball is kicked. That is a very positive in itself.