Manchester United: A squad becoming increasingly unbalanced in transfer window?

Manchester United remain one of the most active clubs in the transfer market. The club have completed the signing of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, in a deal worth up to £73,5m.

With the arrival of the striker, the Red Devils have now spent more than £205m on reinforcements this summer. However, the distribution of that investment across the squad is strikingly lopsided:

98.3% of the total has gone on attacking players, with just 1.7% spent on other areas of the team.

Manchester United’s summer: Who’s in and who’s out?

So far, four new players have joined Old Trafford – three forwards and one left-back:

Benjamin Sesko – £73.5m total
Bryan Mbeumo – £70m
Matheus Cunha – £62.5m
Diego Leon – £3.3m

Leon, the only non-forward on the list, had already agreed to join before the current window opened – he was simply waiting to turn 18 to leave Cerro Porteno. The youngster is considered a big prospect at left-back, but is not expected to be a regular starter for Ruben Amorim.

By contrast, the attacking department – which did need strengthening – has now become overcrowded. Counting all available players, even those likely to be sold, Amorim currently has:

Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Amad Diallo, Antony, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, Chido Obi, and Sesko.

This number will be reduced, but for now it means 10 players competing for three forward spots – without even factoring in the possibility of Bruno Fernandes or Mason Mount operating as advanced midfielders, as seen in pre-season.

Naturally, there is a hierarchy. Sesko has arrived to be the main striker, reducing game time for Hojlund and Zirkzee (who may be tested in a support role). Cunha and Mbeumo are expected to be the starting attacking midfielders, pushing other creative players down the pecking order and fuelling the club’s desire to sell some of its attackers.

This has a knock-on effect in midfield. With Cunha and Mbeumo starting, players like Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo could see changes in their roles. The trend has been to deploy Fernandes in a deeper role, with Mount also an option there – meaning some will inevitably lose minutes.

Departures still to come

So far, United have earned nothing from player sales. The only high-profile exit has been Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Barcelona, while Ethan Wheatley and Daniel Gore have gone on loan to lower-division sides.

With over 20 days remaining in the window, departures are expected – especially among forwards with no space in the squad or those facing off-field issues.

Garnacho, once considered a jewel of the academy, has been embroiled in a dispute with Amorim and the club. He is wanted by Napoli and, more recently, Chelsea – the club he has chosen this summer.

Sancho has held talks with Juventus and, after two loans, is set to leave permanently following a disappointing spell at Old Trafford.

Antony is another who could depart unless United fail to find a replacement. Real Betis are keen on a permanent deal after a successful loan, while German and Italian clubs are monitoring him. The Brazilian recently turned down a move to Al-Nassr.

Hojlund, meanwhile, has not lived up to expectations since joining from Atalanta in 2023. Rumours suggest a return to Serie A could be on the cards, with Inter and AC Milan among the interested parties.

Notably, Garnacho, Sancho and Antony are all among the six most expensive signings in United’s history – costing a combined €222m (£191.9m).

Attack was a problem – but not the only one

Reinforcing the forward line makes sense: United have lacked a reliable goalscorer since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2022 and have struggled to find players suited to Amorim’s dynamic attacking structure.

However, other glaring weaknesses remain unaddressed. The goalkeeper position is still a concern, with many fans unconvinced by Andre Onana.

The left side of defence has been a persistent issue since the Erik ten Hag era. The signing of Danish prospect Patrick Dorgu appears to be the only move to fix it – yet Luke Shaw, often injured, was frequently deployed as a centre-back last season, and Tyrell Malacia, back from a loan at PSV Eindhoven, is unlikely to be a regular option.

In central defence, no reinforcements have arrived despite last season’s injury crisis. Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof, who made 38 appearances between them in 2024-25, have both left on free transfers. Leny Yoro and Lisandro Martinez also missed long spells through injury.

When fully fit, United have quality centre-backs in Martinez, Yoro, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt and Shaw. But Martinez starts the season injured, while another rotation option, 17-year-old Ayden Heaven, is talented but not yet ready for the highest level.

On the right flank, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are both solid options – with Mazraoui even playing nearly half his games for Amorim as a centre-back. Due to the influx of attacking players, Amad has been tested as a right-back in pre-season.

Manchester United’s squad clearly has a structural imbalance, yet there is still optimism. If the team can avoid the injuries that ravaged their defence last season, and with a blend of youthful promise and established talent from midfield onwards, Amorim may finally be able to fully implement his style and start afresh in the Premier League.

This article was originally published on Trivela.