Manchester United’s recruitment policy last summer was more impressive than it was and even if things got off to a slow start under Ruben Amorim, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co are now seeing the fruits of their labor during Michael Carrick’s reign.
Indeed, almost a year ago now, the Red Devils took a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s book to bring in a number of Premier League-proven players, in the form of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Although the latter has slowed down in recent months, he has undoubtedly been one of the best signings in years, scoring ten goals so far in his first campaign at Old Trafford.
However, without the recent arrivals in the final third, United could grow even bigger in the coming months.
Man Utd could sign one of the best midfielders in the world
Much of the talk surrounding Man United recruitment has been dominated by midfielders. It’s abundantly clear that any new manager in the summer will need to find one or two midfielders, a need made all the more acute by Casemiro’s decision to leave English football behind.
Sandro Tonali has been the most prominent name linked in recent weeks but Carrington are still eyeing Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
That said, transfer managers at Old Trafford cannot afford to ignore other areas of the squad and more star quality could be added to the forward line.
Indeed, according to reports from TEAMtalk, none other than Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has been offered the chance to go to the Premier League.
They say that the consultants were discussing not only with Man United in English football but also with Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea regarding the possible availability of Vini Jr this summer.
Why could he be found? Well, the Brazilian player’s contract situation in Madrid is very fragile. He has been offered new terms to extend his stay in the Spanish capital, and while the attacker is open to staying, no deal has been reached.
That said, Real will not make an improved offer, leading to suggestions that Vini could leave Spain this summer. PSG and Bayern Munich are said to have held talks with consultants.
How does Vini Jr compare to Mbeumo and Cunha
It was presented as “the best [player] in the world” by Thierry Henry back in 2024 and worth a staggering £130m, it’s safe to say that Vini Jr is one of the world’s biggest stars.
Only losing the Ballon d’Or to Rodri a few years ago, his overall output may have dropped somewhat in recent years, but this is a player who could quickly take Manchester United to the next level.
There’s a reason Brazilian great Cafu once said he “could be the new Cristiano Ronaldo”. This season alone, the 25-year-old has 17 goals and nine assists.
In fact, over the past four seasons, he has scored more than 21 goals with his career best sitting at 24 back in that 2023/24 Ballon d’Or challenger campaign.
Not just a goalscorer, the Brazilian sensation has been providing assists, registering as many as 66 in the past four and a half seasons.
It will not be surprising to hear that those numbers are much better than those of Mbeumo and Cunha. As eye-catching as he was in United colours, the previous season’s best in front of goals came at Brentford last season when he hit 20 goals in 42 outings. As for Cunha, he has never scored more than 17 goals in one season. Coincidentally, that came again in 2024/25.
Their numbers this term tell the best story about Vini.
|
Vini vs Mbeumo & Cunha in 2025/26 (league only) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mathematics (90 percentile) |
Wine |
Mbeumo |
Cunha |
|
Goals |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
|
Shots |
2.5 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
|
Gun accuracy |
57% |
57% |
58% |
|
Conversion rate |
13% |
15% |
9% |
|
It helps |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
|
Opportunities are created |
2.1 |
1.7 |
1.2 |
|
The takeover is complete |
3 |
0.6 |
1.7 |
|
Fouls won |
2.6 |
1.1 |
2.1 |
|
Duels won |
6.6 |
3 |
6.3 |
Analyzing the data, surprisingly, the star of Real Madrid leads in all the metrics, especially when it comes to creating chances, taking completed steps and errors won.
While Vini Jr is a threat in front of goal, he is untouchable inside the penalty area and has proved a nuisance to the left backs of Alvaro Arbeloa’s attack.
A multiple Champions League winner, the Brazilian is a true champion who has everything in his cupboard to be successful in the Premier League.
A move to English shores seems unlikely at the moment but just imagine if United could land him.
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