Manchester United are heading into the final stretch of the summer transfer window brimming with optimism, for Ruben Amorim and the outfit’s transfer entourage have come together to pull off some exciting signings.
Last year’s lowly Premier League finish is a thing of the past, and with a new-look frontline consisting of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo out wide, plucked from divisional rivals, and fronted by Benjamin Sesko, 22, who joins from RB Leipzig with a weight of expectation, hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig for having “the potential to develop into a world-class striker.”
However, United may yet be in need of a few more signings besides. Amorim took the wheel of a sinking ship last season, and while things didn’t go to plan across the first chapter of the Portuguese tactician’s journey at the club, there’s hope that the storm has been weathered and the Red Devils can begin anew.
But in order to achieve his goals, Amorim is determined to get rid of a few more surplus first-teamers before the end of the month, maybe even signing another player or two as well.
Man Utd pushing for more signings
While Man United still have their work cut out in cashing in on some of the deadwood within the Old Trafford first team, there’s little question that the Red Devils have displayed great intent in the summer transfer market, and remain hungry for further signings.
|
PL Transfer Window 24/25 – Most Money Spent (so far) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Arrivals |
Expenditure |
|
(1) Liverpool |
6 |
£256m |
|
(2) Chelsea |
8 |
£241m |
|
(3) Man Utd |
4 |
£198m |
|
(4) Arsenal |
6 |
£193m |
|
(5) Man City |
6 |
£153m |
|
Data via Transfermarkt |
||
And the pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba suggests that the Red Devils plan to shuffle the midfield pack further over the coming weeks.
But, with the frontline secure, Caught Offside are reporting that Amorim has personally requested that INEOS advance a potential move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has been excluded from Luis Enrique’s plans for the new season, expected to depart having entered the final year of his contract.
United are joined by their pesky neighbours Manchester City in chasing the Italy international, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, who is valued at a steep €50m (£43m); furthermore, his salary demands would be sure to place him among the club’s top earners.
Man United have, of course, already engaged with PSG for a big-money transfer in recent memory, signing Manuel Ugarte last summer.
And it’s with that deal in mind that caution should be considered when weighing up a move for PSG’s 6 foot 7 shot-stopper.
Why Man Utd shouldn’t sign Donnarumma
Donnarumma played a vital role in winning everything on offer in Europe for PSG last season, but having been ferried toward the exit door, Man United spy an opportunity.
However, should they be making this move when INEOS’ new strategy appears to hold so much promise?
To be sure, Donnarumma is an exciting and established player, but PSG don’t want him, and perhaps that is telling, especially when peering back at the many misfires for Man United over the years.
And when considering that a move for Ugarte last summer hasn’t really gone to plan, a different track might be worthwhile here too. Indeed, the current bid for Baleba suggests that Ugarte’s place as the starting anchor in Amorim’s system is anything but secure.
The 24-year-old had some good moments in the Premier League last season, namely during a monstrous performance against Liverpool at Anfield, but there’s little question that he struggled to adapt to the rigours of English football.
However, he petered out toward the end of the campaign and struggled on the ball at times. Sure, the Uruguayan was crisp enough, completing around 88% of his passes in the league, but his average of 3.08 progressive passes per game, via FBref, left him ranked among the lowly bottom 18% of the division’s midfielders.
Not good enough, and indicative of a discordance between Ugarte’s tactical weaknesses and the way in which Amorim wants to play. The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell noted that the South American was prone to having a ‘nightmare in possession‘ for the side last season.
In this regard, Donnarumma could bleakly mimic his former Paris-based teammate. The Italian is a staggering shot-stopper, so important in winning the quadruple at PSG under Luis Enrique’s wing last season.
However, Donnarumma is infallible, and on a reported £300k-per-week salary at the Parc des Princes, might Old Trafford be treading over the sheet-thin ice of recent years?
Though he has improved since those youthful days, Donnarumma remains a comparatively young goalkeeper and we have seen with Andre Onana the perils in signing a goalkeeper with such deficiencies, in spite of strong performances out on the continent.
It’s worth noting that Onana, for all his flaws, saved 68.9% of his shots faced in the Premier League last season; Donnarumma, however, averaged a 66.7% save percentage in Ligue 1, both sets of stats courtesy of FBref. The Italian is also barely much better when it comes to launching passes, ranking among the worst 30% of goalkeepers in Europe for launched pass success. Onana, conversely, ranks among the worst 15%.
Given that, as was the case with Ugarte, PSG have marked Donnarumma as expendable, casting him out of the project, United technical director Jason Wilcox will surely be wary of lightning striking twice, and United being stuck within this cyclical further still.
Whether Man United act on their interest and sign the prominent goalkeeper remains to be seen, but as with the likes of Raphael Varane, Casemiro and indeed Ugarte (among others), there is a lesson to be learned about signing high-profile players who other top teams are happy to shift.
Football commentator Matteo Bonetti has remarked in the past that Donnarumma boasts a skill set that is “beyond world-class”, but the reservations as to whether United would receive bang for their buck are definitely there, and perhaps it would be better to opt against such a signing.
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