Manchester United fans have been blessed with numerous elite-level strikers over the years, with many capturing the hearts of the supporters during their respective stints at Old Trafford.
Wayne Rooney spent 13 years with the Red Devils, joining them as a youngster from Everton and going on to exceed everyone’s expectations upon his arrival.
The Englishman netted 253 goals in his 559 outings – a tally to this day which remains the most in the club’s history after he overtook Sir Bobby Charlton’s record back in 2017.
He often starred alongside the likes of Robin van Persie and Dimitar Berbatov – subsequently playing a huge role in their record-breaking 13 Premier League title triumphs.
However, in the present day, boss Ruben Amorim is hunting for his own talisman to try and end the decade-long wait for another league trophy at the Theatre of Dreams.
What Sesko & Mbeumo will bring to Man Utd
After scoring just 44 league goals in 2024/25, Amorim made it clear that he wanted a new centre-forward in the summer window – with the board backing him with a deal to land Benjamin Sesko.
The deal to land the Slovenian international cost upwards of £70m, with the former RB Leipzig talisman able to be an immediate and long-term solution to their problems, given his tender age of 22.
However, he’s already showcased his quality in the Bundesliga, racking up 27 league goals in the last two years – a tally higher than any player in the Red Devils’ current first-team squad.
He’s going to be aided in his attempts by fellow new addition Bryan Mbeumo, after the Cameroonian international also joined Amorim’s men in a deal worth a total of £71m.
Like Sesko, the 26-year-old has thrived in front of goal over recent times, scoring 20 times in the Premier League throughout the 2024/25 campaign – subsequently leading to his big-money transfer.
However, despite the talents of the aforementioned talents, one former Red Devil star has thrived since leaving the club and once again demonstrated his incredible goalscoring nouse.
The former United star who’s outscoring Sesko & Mbeumo
Securing deals for experienced attackers isn’t unfamiliar to United after securing the signature of legendary forward Zlatan Ibrahimović back in the summer of 2016 after his release from PSG.
The Swede moved to Manchester at the age of 34, but that didn’t stop him from making a huge impact within the club’s first-team during the 2016/17 campaign.
He’s registered a staggering 28 goals in his 46 outings across all competitions – helping the side win the Europa League and Carabao Cup under José Mourinho.
Zlatan wasn’t the only experienced option landed by the hierarchy in recent years, with Edinson Cavani also following a similar pattern after also joining from the French giants.
Such a move occurred four years after his former teammate, also moving at a similar age, given that the Uruguayan was 33 at the time of his free transfer to join the Red Devils.
Cavani would spend two years at Old Trafford, racking up 59 appearances and managing to find the back of the net on 19 separate occasions – including an outrageous long-range against Fulham.
Given he was entering the back end of his career at the top level, he would leave in the summer of 2022 – departing on a free transfer to join Spanish side Valencia.
Fast-forward to the present day, the 38-year-old is still plying his trade for Argentine outfit Boca Juniors, but is still managing to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.
Games played
59
Goals scored
19
Assists
7
Minutes played
3094
Yellow cards
6
Minutes per goal
163
Minutes per assist
442
Cavani, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has scored 24 goals since the start of the 2024/25 campaign – a simply remarkable tally given his age.
Such a figure is also higher than new additions, Sesko (21) and Mbeumo (22), subsequently highlighting the attacking threat he still carries to this day.
There’s no denying that the hierarchy made the right choice in allowing him to depart United, but it’s great to see a former fans’ favourite still thriving like he did at Old Trafford.
If the two new additions can make a similar impact to the Uruguayan at the Theatre of Dreams, there’s no reason why the club can’t be competing at the top end of the table once again in the years ahead.