Throughout final summer season’s switch window, Manchester United made it a precedence to strengthen their attacking group as they goal to interrupt into the Premier League’s high 5.
INEOS have fully overhauled their entrance three for the 2025/26 season, spending greater than £200m on the signings of Matheus Cunha, Brian Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.
Enormous sums of cash had been spent on the aforementioned expertise, however such an funding was price it, because the trio scored a top-flight 32 objectives final time period.
All of them completed their debut season because the Pink Devils’ high three scorers, with Sesko and Mbeumo tied on the high of the scoring checklist with 11 objectives every.
However regardless of making a right away affect at Previous Trafford, there was a protracted highway forward for the attacking stars to emulate their success in Manchester.
Why Van Persie is considered one of United’s most underrated attackers
Again in the summertime of 2012, United signed striker Robin van Persie from rivals Arsenal for £24 million, a deal that prompted nice controversy amongst Gunners devoted.
The Dutchman was seen as the right attacking participant to convey additional success to the Pink Devils below the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson at Previous Trafford.
Such a deal is undoubtedly among the best within the membership’s 148-year historical past. That is as a result of he made a right away affect upon his arrival and helped the membership obtain Premier League glory.
Van Persie scored 30 objectives in 48 appearances in his debut season with the Pink Devils, 26 of which got here in England’s high flight, and completed the season because the division’s high scorer.
Manchester United’s high scorer within the Premier League | |
|---|---|
season | high scorer |
25/26 | Benjamin Sesco & Mateus Cunha – 11 |
24/25 | Bruno Fernandes & Amad Diallo – 8 |
23/24 | Bruno Fernandes & Rasmus Hoylund – 10 |
22/23 | Marcus Rashford – 17 |
21/22 | Cristiano Ronaldo – 18 |
20/21 | Bruno Fernandes – 18 |
19/20 | Marcus Rashford & Anthony Martial – 17 |
18/19 | Paul Pogba – 13 |
17/18 | Romelu Lukaku – 16 |
16/17 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 17 |
15/16 | Anthony Martial – 11 |
14/15 | Wayne Rooney – 12 |
13/14 | Wayne Rooney – 17 |
12/13 | Robin van Persie – 26 |
The Dutchman spent an additional two seasons on the Theater of Desires, scoring 28 objectives in 57 video games and persevering with his spectacular scoring document after his transfer from Arsenal.
He completed his spell in Manchester with 58 objectives in 105 video games throughout all competitions. This can be a document of scoring the again of the web as soon as each 1.8 video games.
The 42-year-old actually supplied good worth for cash and was even thought-about a cut price in a deal like this, with United buying a participant who impressed in the course of the prime of his profession.
Man United contemplating signing subsequent Van Persie
The present switch market is in a very totally different state of affairs than it was 14 years in the past, with enormous quantities of capital required to safe top-level expertise.
United’s £200m spending final summer season is proof that occasions have modified, with no participant within the attacking trio becoming a member of for lower than £60m.
Nonetheless, regardless of the excessive spending, there are nonetheless bargains available and the switch of Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta positively falls into that class.
Journalist Rudy Galetti has reported that supervisor Michael Carrick’s group are in talks to signal the France worldwide this summer season.
In addition they report that the 29-year-old attacker has only one 12 months left on his present contract at Selhurst Park and might be snapped up for simply £25m.
Sesco is undoubtedly the Pink Devils’ primary centre-forward possibility, however a deal for Mateta would give United a confirmed Premier League talisman, just like Van Persie.
He’s a participant within the prime of his profession on the high degree, however that hasn’t stopped him from attracting consideration and excelling within the last third.
Mateta, described by Pink Devils legend Wayne Rooney as “among the best strikers in Europe”, has scored an astonishing 52 objectives in all competitions over the previous three seasons.
He additionally scored 12 objectives in England’s high flight final season, forward of latest signing Sesco, who arrived from RB Leipzig for £70m final summer season.
In addition to his unbelievable objective tally, the Palace star additionally attracted consideration for his unbelievable hold-up play, occurring to win 2.7 in 90 aerial duels all through the 2025/26 marketing campaign.
His potential within the air might make him the right focus for Carrick’s facet, which might permit the likes of Mbeumo and Cunha to extend their scoring numbers subsequent season.
Paying £25 million for a participant with Premier League expertise and expertise in entrance of objective could be one other enormous endeavor for INEOS and United.
Much like Van Persie’s transfer 14 years in the past, the membership will doubtless signal gamers from the identical English First Division facet to make sure success domestically.
If he can attain something near the extent the Dutchman produced at Previous Trafford, it could be one other cut price signing and will make the distinction for Carrick’s facet all through the 2026/27 season.
