Manchester United icon Wes Brown has lauded their summer transfer window as “A grade”, but issued boss Ruben Amorim a stark warning for the upcoming Premier League campaign.
The Portuguese’s first campaign was nothing short of a disaster, although he did not start the year at the helm.
A 15th-place finish and defeat in the Europa League final to fellow Premier League strugglers Tottenham Hotspur spelt trouble for the Red Devils.
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But the problems leaked off the pitch too, with the club appearing to struggle for money and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe announcing multiple rounds of staff redundancies.
Manchester United lost the Europa League final to Tottenham last season
|PA
However, the mood around Old Trafford has shifted during the summer months, as the club have welcomed a new-look front line - and they haven’t cut any corners.
Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo offer Premier League experience and provide pace, dynamism and creativity behind the striker.
The No9 is also a new face: Benjamin Sesko. The 22-year-old Slovenian looks to be an enigmatic and powerful forward who is sure to add an air of unpredictability to a previously stale forward line. He took their summer spending close to £200million.
Brown, who won an astonishing seven Premier League titles during his 15-year spell at Old Trafford, believes it is their summer business that can propel Amorim’s side back into the European spaces.
Benjamin Sesko joins Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon through the doors at Old Trafford this summer
| GETTYSpeaking on behalf of Best Online Casinos Casino.org ,the 45-year-old ranked his former employer’s business in the window: “Ranking it, I would have to say A. You look at Mbuemo and Cunha and they were the stars of the Premier League last season. They create chances, they get fans off their seats and create and score goals.
“This is what Manchester United were missing and you have ready-made players who know the Premier League to fit straight into the team and get going from the opening game. I’m excited to see both players become a success at the club, and they will have the full backing of the fans to perform on the pitch.
“With the addition of Sesko, Manchester United have a striker who is young and hungry and confident. With these three coming in, it can complement the talent of Bruno [Fernandes] and Amad [Diallo], plus the young players like [Ayden] Heaven coming into the team.”
Focusing on the club’s new No 9, Brown continued: “It’s a great signing for Manchester United. The type of signing that the club have been looking to achieve for a number of years.
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“It’s also the right time for Sesko. With all respect, he was playing for Leipzig in Germany, but now has his move to a big club in Manchester United where he wants to show on a big stage what he can do.
“Manchester United needs competition, and signing Sesko can give a further lift to the Club in what has been an A-grade off-season bringing in Cunha and Mbeumo as well
“I think Sesko has all the attributes to score plenty of goals for Manchester United. He is mobile, good in the air and with his feet so it all bodes really well for the club.”
For all the positivity off the pitch during the summer, the pressure is high for Amorim to get the results that he lacked last year.
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Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown believes it is 'the right time' for Sesko to join a 'big club'
|GETTY
Brown has warned the Portuguese coach that the club “have to improve”, but instilled his own confidence that it will happen.
“Manchester United have to improve on last season and I think they will,” he continued.
“I would hope that Manchester United can push for European football and a top-six or seventh finish. This is the key now for Manchester United, to push for minimum of European football.
“Look, if we can get Champions League football, it will be an outstanding achievement. First and foremost it’s about being better than last season, then a domestic trophy would also be great for the Club.
“Title is out the question, I think as the top 4 are too far ahead and with such quality and deep squads, I am not sure we are there yet. But we now have the basis of a squad that can compete well, plenty of attacking options, plenty of creativity and defensively the team will be better for sure. I am excited as a Man Utd fan for the season ahead.”
United kick off their season on Sunday afternoon against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the opening weekend’s headliner game.
The Gunners are expected to mount another title challenge and present Amorim with an instant benchmark for their progress.
Last season, the two sides faced off three times. Both teams got a victory, with United beating Arteta’s team on penalties in the FA Cup, while their most recent encounter ended in a 1-1 draw.