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Lammens A, Sesko C: Rating every Man Utd signing this season
31 May 2026 01:01 CDT |
5 min read
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For the first time in a long time, Manchester United had an undeniably positive experience in the transfer market.
The summer of 2025 was a bit of a strange one for the Red Devils in several ways. For one, the expectation heading into the window was that Man Utd would not be able to spend big, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe fearmongering that the club could go bust by December.
However, by the end of Deadline Day, they had spent around €250 million on four new recruits. This was after they had failed in their objective of getting their business done early, with only Matheus Cunha already in the building when the proper window opened on 1 July.
The sagas to sign Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko dragged on for weeks and arguably ended with Man Utd overpaying for both. Eyebrows were also raised when the club only signed forwards (and a goalkeeper) when they desperately needed a midfielder.
And yet, following the 2025/26 season, it is difficult to be too critical of Man Utd's signings. In fact, for the first time in recent memory, all of them hit. So, let's take a look at how they fared individually...
Benjamin Sesko - C (€76.5m from RB Leipzig)
Man Utd piled the misery on an increasingly desperate Newcastle when they beat the St. James' Park club to the signing of talented RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko following plenty of back-and-forth.
At one point, the Slovenian looked set to join the Magpies, but in truth, he only ever wanted Man Utd, even taking a lower salary to join the Red Devils. However, that is not to say that the 22-year-old was a bargain.
On the contrary, Sesko cost a whopping €76.5m upfront, and Man Utd are not yet done paying for him. It is expected that they will have to shell out another €4m in bonuses this summer, and potentially more in the future, with the entire package capable of reaching €85m.
The Old Trafford club also agreed to play a friendly against Leipzig, with all the revenues from the match going into the pockets of the Bundesliga outfit. It was a pretty good deal for the Red Bulls.
Initially, it looked as though Sesko would flop at Old Trafford, with the towering forward taking a bit of time to get used to the level of the Premier League. Ultimately, though, he has been a successful if pricey signing.
He didn't hit the target of 15 goals that former coach Ruben Amorim set for him, but a return of 12 strikes in all competitions is fine, albeit unspectacular. Often coming on as a substitute, he bagged a few crucial goals that helped Man Utd return to the Champions League.
There is certainly more to come from Sesko. Given his price tag, though, anything higher than a C would be too generous.
Matheus Cunha - B (€74.2m from Wolves)
Man Utd acted fast to secure the signing of standout Wolves attacker Matheus Cunha, agreeing a deal to purchase him by triggering his release clause before the short June transfer window for the Club World Cup had even opened.
Cunha certainly wasn't cheap at a price of €74.2m, but he was a Premier League-proven, versatile forward who was ready to slot immediately into the club's starting lineup. That's exactly what he did.
The Brazil international became an immediate starter for the Red Devils, but it took a while for him to really get going. He only scored once in his first 12 Premier League outings, but his output eventually improved.
He finished the campaign with 10 goals in 33 league appearances. He started 29 of those games and offered more to Man Utd's overall play than Sesko, who started 17 times, so Cunha gets a B.
Bryan Mbeumo - B (€75m from Brentford)
The logic behind signing Bryan Mbeumo was the same as for Cunha. He was a Premier League-proven game-changer who was more than ready to make the step up to a truly elite club.
Consequently, the Cameroon international also commanded a sizeable fee, with Brentford digging their heels in. After weeks of haggling over his final price, Man Utd agreed to shell out €75m.
The Red Devils had wanted to spend significantly less on the 26-year-old, but it was ultimately the right decision to reluctantly cough up the money. Much like Cunha, Mbeumo has been a successful signing, even if he had spells where he struggled.
He finished the season with 12 goals in 34 games across all competitions. He missed several games due to the African Cup of Nations, but when he was on the pitch, he was impactful. With some better finishing and luck, he could have easily had 15+ goals in 2025/26.
His three-month Premier League scoring drought - before netting in the final two games of the season - should not distort the fact that he was Man Utd's most consistent attacking threat. He also gets a B.
Senne Lammens - A (€21m from Royal Antwerp)
The most lowkey signing of Man Utd's season was also their best, with young goalkeeper Senne Lammens joining for €21m from Royal Antwerp and simply getting on with his job.
The Belgian's arrival was contentious, with then-coach Amorim preferring experienced Aston Villa shot-stopper Emi Martinez over the 23-year-old, but Man Utd's directors were right to overrule their doomed wannabe manager.
Lammens has brought an assuredness and calmness that was sorely lacking from Man Utd's backline. Of course, the shot-stopper has made the odd mistake, which is to be expected, but he has not been guilty of the repeated calamitous howlers of his predecessors.
The heir-apparent to Thibaut Courtois for the other Red Devils, the Belgian ones, Lammens has easily been one of the best signings in all of the Premier League this term, not just at Man Utd. Anything other than an A would be ludicrous.
