Coach Ruben Amorim has spent £200 million to rebuild the attack. However, new players such as Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have not yet shown the full potential he expected.
Ironically, this weekend, the player who can be considered the most vivid reflection of Amorim's philosophy is not playing for Manchester United. Instead, Viktor Gyokeres is a rookie for Arsenal.
The comparison becomes more obvious than ever. Sesko has only worked with Amorim for less than a week, while Gyokeres has scored 65 goals under his hand in 16 months at Sporting CP. In fact, the one who debuted at Old Trafford this weekend should have been Gyokeres in red, not Sesko.
Man United have never really faced a direct cross between Sesko and Gyokeres. Amorim admired his former student, but they always believed that he was more inclined towards Arsenal.
Therefore, instead of teaching Bruno Fernandes how to find Gyokeres in the box, Amorim now has to use his own deep knowledge to prepare Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and the rest to find a way to stop him.
Gyokeres entered the battle with a teenage age of 27, 6 years of playing for English clubs - Swansea, Coventry. But strangely, he has never played a single minute in the Premier League.
In his final season at the Midlands, Gyokeres scored 22 goals, while under Amorim at Sporting, the number exploded to 97 goals after 102 matches. Sesko is only 22 years old, very talented but still immature. And Old Trafford will see a match between an unfinished tower house and a shaped cutter.
Amorim still mentioned Sporting's contribution to the Gyokeres deal, when Hugo Viana himself - now Man City's Director of Football - oriented that turning point decision.
"Sporting makes a living from such deals. They have a strong lineup, because that is how they exist," said the Portuguese captain.
Amorim admitted that the Premier League is a different challenge, where the pace and fitness are always far beyond what he has experienced in Germany or Portugal. But amid that challenge, Arsenal have finally found the long-missing piece - the real nine.
"Viktor Gyokeres is an excellent player. He brings qualities that Arsenal don't have. With Viktor Gyokeres or Kai Havertz in attack are two completely different scenarios.
We have to prepare for that. And it is no surprise that Viktor Gyokeres is at one of the biggest clubs in England," Amorim admitted.
If Sesko represents a "future design" that Arsenal have been pursuing, Gyokeres is the perfect version. The transfer market also exposed this contrast.
Leipzig once offered Sesko a €100 million deal, while Arsenal spent £54 million to bring Gyokeres to the Emirates. This figure is even lower than the £663 million that Man United have to pay Sesko. The add-ons could increase the deal to £73.7 million, making him the most expensive signing of both Cunha and Mbeumo.
Amorim has not denied those numbers. He only looks straight into reality when Gyokeres is a sharp weapon, while Sesko is just a newlywed sword, still waiting for the day to test the fire.
"He has to learn, but his potential is limitless. I believe Sesko will become a Manchester United centre-forward for many years to come. That is why we invested heavily to have a player of historical stature for the club," Amorim said.
Sesko could be number 9 for a decade at Old Trafford. But those promises were made to Rasmus Hojlund just two years ago.
Now, the £72 million contract is at risk of being pushed to AC Milan on loan. In the friendly match against Fiorentina last week, he did not even play, giving the false No. 9 role to Mason Mount.
Hojlund was once considered the first brick in Erik ten Hag's work, and he had moments of effort. However, his inconsistent form makes him the clearest proof of M.U's transfer mistakes.
