Bruno Fernandes is staying. Matheus Cunha is joining. Bryan Mbeumo could be next. The future of Manchester United could perhaps be a brighter one…
Of course, Red Devils supporters have been down this road before, with ‘winning the window’ rarely translating into on-field success – just look back to 2021 and the statement signings of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The difference this time, however, is that Ruben Amorim and co appear to be ready to raid the Premier League for ready-made solutions, hence their pursuit of Cunha and Mbeumo, with the club having far too often looked abroad for reinforcements over the last decade or so.
As the MEN’s George Smith noted, amid Cunha’s arrival, United had not signed a proven top-flight attacker since prising Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in 2018, with Romelu Lukaku having joined from Everton a few months earlier.
Those deals aren’t exactly shining examples, although in the case of Lukaku, his return of 42 goals in 96 games has certainly aged well, not least considering Rasmus Hojlund has scored just 26 times in 95 outings in all competitions.
Hopefully, both Cunha and Mbeumo – should the latter sign – can replicate and exceed the Belgian’s return at Old Trafford, with United wise to be continuing this approach of looking closer to home for new additions.
Man Utd keen on signing another Premier League star
The bombshell news that Mbeumo is keen to join Amorim’s side came following the news that United had lost the race for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, with the Englishman opting to reunite with former Manchester City youth coach, Enzo Maresca, at Chelsea.
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Amid that potential setback, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has reported that the club are considering centre-forward alternatives, namely Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen and Antoine Semenyo, with Amorim also keen on acquiring an ‘athletic No.8’, while a new wing-back could also be ‘on the agenda’.
The search for new options on the flanks may have seen United turn toward another top-flight talent, in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Pervis Estupinan, with reports in Spain indicating that the Ecuadorian has emerged as a ‘priority’ target.
The belief is that while the 27-year-old is attracting interest from a long list of suitors, it is the Red Devils who are showing the ‘strongest interest’ at present, having ‘set their sights’ on the full-back.
This comes amid prior reports which suggested that INEOS had actually held talks over a move for the £15m defender, with any potential deal ensuring Amorim could land an immediate upgrade on January arrival, Patrick Dorgu.
How Estupinan compares to Dorgu
It is undoubtedly still early days in Dorgu’s United journey, having signed from Lecce on a £30m deal in January, although it hasn’t exactly been plain sailing, not least when considering the 20-year-old’s red card against Ipswich Town in February.
There have been notable bright moments – including winning a penalty in the 4-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad at Old Trafford – yet the promising Dane is yet to truly convince, with club legend Gary Neville including him among those who are “not good enough” among the current crop.
The addition of Estupinan to bolster that left flank could then represent the perfect upgrade, with the experienced star recognised as “one of the best left-backs in the Premier League” by manager Fabian Hurzeler.
While the 2024/25 campaign ended in the attack-minded full-back providing just one goal and one assist in the league, he had previously registered 15 goal involvements in the two seasons prior to that, across all competitions.
For comparison, the young Dorgu has so far registered no goals and just a solitary assist during his brief time in Manchester, after previously racking up only five goals and two assists in 57 games in Italy.
While the winter signing’s age must be factored in, it is also worth noting that Dorgu did actually play as a winger on occasion in Serie A, with it yet to be seen if he can provide that much-needed end product.
Games (starts)
12 (10)
30 (26)
Goals
0
1
Assists
0
1
Big chances created
1
5
Key passes*
1.0
0.9
Pass accuracy*
86%
88%
Tackles & interceptions*
2.9
3.4
Balls recovered*
3.1
4.9
Successful dribbles*
0.3
0.6
Errors leading to goal
2
0
As indicated above, while the current United man is certainly not too far behind across a string of metrics, it is Estupinan who comes out on top in numerous key areas, including tackles and interceptions, ball recoveries, successful dribbles and pass accuracy, emphasising his quality at both ends of the pitch.
It’s not to say that Dorgu should simply be cast off so soon into his time in English football, yet at just 20, the jury is out on whether he can be a consistent, regular performer at Premier League level.
As journalist Samuel Luckhurst suggested after the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, the left-footer arguably looked ‘out of his depth’.
With that in mind, a rival or competitor to the Denmark international is certainly needed this summer – by signing the Seagulls star, Amorim may even be getting himself an immediate upgrade.
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