Manchester United’s summer plans are shaping up nicely, with the attacking department expected to get a real facelift after a season of struggles in front of goal.
While there are multiple issues that need to be addressed by Ineos this summer, bringing goals into the team is arguably the most important of all.
This season, Manchester United have missed 57 big chances, with the large majority coming in the past two months, while Ruben Amorim has been coaching wins in the Premier League. Amorim has consistently emphasised that the forwards need to improve, but with no sign of this happening, United have paid the price.
Since the start of April, according to Under Stat, United are ninth in expected points (underperformed by 8.67 points) and expected goals (5.38 underperformance). This shows that things are better than they appear to be right now, with poor finishing the major issue preventing United from winning these games.
With this clearly the issue, Ineos has already been at work to bolster the attacking department for United with players who have proven themselves in the league this season.
Wolves’ Matheus Cunha is close to joining United, with 15 Premier League goals this season. In addition, United are also pushing to sign Liam Delap who has scored 12 with Ipswich.
But there is further work to be done beyond these two additions…
Photo by MARCOS PIN/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by MARCOS PIN/AFP via Getty Images
Manchester United must push to sign league-leading Franco Mastantuono
The name Franco Mastantuono is one that will have been on the minds of Football Manager players for years, with the Argentine a bona fide wonderkid. However, after so much hype, his early signs in the River Plate team suggested he might have been overhyped.
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This is no longer the case, with the 17-year-old coming into his own this season in the first team and finding himself already as the best right winger in Argentina right now as his stats from SofaScore suggest.
An infographic of Franco Mastantuono's stats for River Plate during the 2025 season so far.
As seen, Mastantuono’s stats position him as the most effective and dangerous right-sided forward in the Liga Profesional de Futbol this season, ranking first among his peers in key areas like goals and assists, along with dribbles and key passes.
The talented teenager is seen in Argentina as the next big thing, with Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez lauding Mastantuono as being ready for a move to Europe. This season has shown this as he looks a cut above with a goal highlight reel.
Best of all was Mastantuono’s Super Clasico free-kick against Boca Juniors, which led to Lionel Messi comparisons afterwards.
Mastantuono is a player capable of moments of pure greatness, which has been lacking at United for far too long, and could be exactly what this Amorim side needs in the right number 10 position.
But signing him will be no easy feat.
Manchester United face an uphill battle to sign Franco Mastantuono
Last summer, United seized a market opportunity to sign Leny Yoro ahead of the rest of Europe, and this summer, Mastantuono might be a similar deal if Ineos can arrange it.
The River Plate phenom is a future world-beater, and therefore United should be attempting to trigger Mastantuono’s £38m release clause in August, which is when he turns 18.
Despite the interest, River Plate have been insisting Mastantuono won’t leave the club before the end of their season in December, which potentially means a club will have to trigger the release clause and send him back until January.
It is thought that despite United showing the strongest interest in Mastantuono, there is a problem for Ineos in that Real Madrid are Mastantuono’s dream team. However, similar to Yoro, United can convince him with the project.
This all makes a deal to sign Mastantuono seem difficult, but United should throw everything at this, considering it could secure the position for the next decade or longer.