Man United have signed £62.5m man they 'don't need' with Ruben Amorim's transfers under scrutiny

Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott has given his verdict on Manchester United's summer signings and believes Bryan Mbeumo is the key man for Ruben Amorim

Joleon Lescott is adamant that one new summer signing is key to United's success(Image: In The Mixer/YouTube)

Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott believes Manchester United didn't need to sign Matheus Cunha, claiming that Bryan Mbeumo is the key to Ruben Amorim's success this season. With only one victory so far this season and a humiliating 3-0 defeat in the Manchester derby, pressure is mounting on the Portuguese boss.

Amorim was backed in the summer transfer window with the signings of £74million striker Benjamin Sesko, as well as Premier League standouts Mbeumo and Cunha.

Cameroonian international Mbeumo shone at Brentford and cost United an initial £65m, while Brazilian forward Cunha was signed from Wolves for £62.5m. Despite currently being sidelined with a hamstring injury, Lescott feels that Cunha was a player United could have done without.

In contrast, the ex-City star sees Mbeumo as a potential game-changer for United this season and feels he should be a regular starter. Lescott predicts that the 26-year-old will have a more influential season than his team-mate Cunha.

"I reckon Mbeumo has a more impactful season than Cunha," Lescott said on In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet. "They don't need [a player like Cunha].

Bryan Mbeumo is the key to United's success(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

"They're trying to build, or probably rebuild now, by buying second-tier or third-tier players and creating the foundations that get you there.

"Mbeumo is more of a foundational piece to their puzzle than Cunha. They're now a mid-table team, not a mid-table club, and Mbeumo needs to play."

ALL OUT FOOTBALL ON YOUTUBE: Subscribe now to be the first to watch the latest episodes of In The Mixer and other original shows, brought to you by Sky Bet. Follow All Out Football on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X .

Discussing Mbeumo's substantial £71m price tag, he said: "This might be a way to explain what I believe, how you value players. Their value shouldn't be value to both parties. It only has to be that value to one entity, whether it's United or whether it is Brentford.

"I'll use, say, Jack Grealish as an example, or even Harry Maguire. When Jack Grealish was leaving Aston Villa, he was worth more than £100m to Aston Villa. Because if he's not there, they go down.

"He may not be worth £100m to Man City, or whatever, and Mbeumo may not be worth £64m to Brentford, but he's worth that to Man United. To them, he needs to play and they do well, and so for me, that's the value."

Amorim has been told that he just needed Mbeumo over Cunha(Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Mbeumo has featured in all of United's opening four Premier League fixtures this campaign, scoring just once. His penalty miss resulted in their Carabao Cup elimination against League Two side Grimsby Town.

Cunha has similarly played a key role and also fluffed his lines from the spot in the Grimsby Town loss, though he was withdrawn during their 3-2 victory over Burnley due to a hamstring problem.

Whether he will be match-ready for their upcoming game against Chelsea remains uncertain, but Amorim hinted that his time on the bench won't be extended much longer, and he could make a comeback by Saturday evening.

Ahead of the defeat to City, the United boss said: "If you talk with Cunha, if you catch Cunha outside, he will say he can play this game [vs City]! So I don't know. We will manage day by day, but they are pushing hard, and that is a good thing."

You can listen to brand new episodes of In The Mixer on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!