Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo must all contribute more than 15 goals this season, according to talkSPORT’s Inside Devils panel.
The Red Devils entered the transfer window aiming to build on a successful campaign in which they secured a return to Champions League football under the guidance of former player Michael Carrick.
Kelly wants more than Cunha’s ten goals and two assists last seasonGetty
So far, United have strengthened their midfield with the arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
Additionally, recruitment in recent seasons has left their attacking rank well-stocked, bolstered further by the return of Marcus Rashford.
However, defensive options remain light, despite persistent interest in Newcastle United‘s Lewis Hall and Arsenal‘s Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Carrick will have a core unit of five centre-backs to rotate: Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Harry Maguire, Matthijs De Ligt, and Lisandro Martínez.
Nevertheless, the manager may have lingering concerns about the overall depth across his back four.
Speaking on Inside Devils, Angelina Kelly expressed her concerns regarding the squad balance: “The squad is starting to look good, but it’s extremely top-heavy.
“When you look at those forward options, everyone needs to be firing on all cylinders. You look at the likes of Amad and Mbuemo, after AFCON, they did struggle.
“However, you look at those two, you look at Cunha, Sesko, and even Rashford and they need to be top. Especially Cunha, Sesko, and Mbuemo – they all need to be aiming for 15-20 goals at least.
“We are going to struggle defensively because we don’t have all the necessary tools at our disposal. We do have a little bit of squad depth, but we’ve seen Leny Yoro make mistakes. Is Ayden Heaven going to be playing week in, week out? Maybe?
“There are leaks in that defence, and we need our forwards to step up this season, they need to be aiming for 15 goals at least.”
Maguire and Yoro offer a blend of experience and young talentGetty
What are the leaks in defence?
Yoro and Heaven are both 20 and 19-years old respectively, and both are still in the early stages of their development.
Yoro has already appeared 66 times since arriving from Lille in July 2024, though his game remains susceptible to the occasional error.
Heaven made just 11 league starts last season and has openly noted that he is still waiting for his main breakthrough opportunity.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Maguire is at the tail-end of his career at 33 years old, yet he is still expected to start the campaign as the first-choice defender.
Meanwhile, De Ligt’s physical condition remains an issue as the 26-year-old has not featured for the Red Devils since November 2025 due to a back injury that was finally operated on in May.
What was United’s attacking record last season?
Mbuemo, Sesko, and Cunha all reached double figures last season, but supporters are demanding an even higher output.
Nine of Benjamin Sesko’s 11 goals last term came in the second half of the season under Carrick’s managementGetty
Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro were close behind with nine goals apiece, but the front three will need to absorb an extra goalscoring burden following the Brazilian’s departure.
Unlike last term, United will be juggling a congested calendar that includes mid-week European fixtures.
If Carrick’s side are to mount a serious challenge for silverware, improving their goal difference will be paramount.
Last season, Premier League champions Arsenal netted 71 times while conceding just 27 goals.
Similarly, Pep Guardiola‘s Manchester City scored 77 goals across their league fixtures, shipping 35 at the other end.
There was a noticeable drop-off to Carrick’s third-placed side, who managed an impressive 69 goals, albeit conceding 50.
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