Man United have succeeded in the transfer window where they failed last summer

Man United have made their mark on this summer's transfer window with three statement signings.

After finishing the 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a negative goal difference, Manchester United should have prioritised attacking signings in last summer's transfer window. Instead they added in three defenders, one defensive-midfielder and just one attacker.

Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt arrived from Bayern Munich and Leny Yoro checked in from Lille to strengthen United's defence before Manuel Ugarte arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day to beef up the midfield.

At the other end of the pitch, Joshua Zirkzee was signed from Bologna to challenge Rasmus Hojlund at the tip of the attack. Neither player will be in Ruben Amorim's starting XI against Arsenal this weekend.

Although United should have prioritised the addition of a starting striker last summer, they instead added a holding midfielder. In their defence, there was plenty of logic behind that rationale.

Throughout the 2023/24 campaign, United were regularly exposed in midfield. Opponents took full advantage of gaping holes in the centre of the pitch that opened up amid Casemiro's staggering decline from the season prior.

Regardless of how impressive Casemiro was during the 2022/23 campaign, he was only ever going to offer a short-term fix. United needed younger legs in the engine room and they identified Ugarte as their top target, despite former manager Erik ten Hag ranking him third on his personal wish list.

Ugarte arrived on deadline day and did not make his debut until the other side of the September international break.

The season was already more than a month old by the time he eventually made his first Premier League start, alongside Kobbie Mainoo for the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on September 30.

Although there is still an obvious need for United to sign a midfielder again this summer, strengthening that particular area of the pitch was not their main priority when the window opened on June 1. Instead, they prioritised the signing of a striker.

After getting both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo through the door in time for the pre-season tour of the United States, United added another attacker to their ranks on Saturday, landing the centre-forward they desperately needed.

Benjamin Sesko has arrived from RB Leipzig for an initial fee of £66.4million and has completed United's attacking rebuild. Signing a five-year-deal, the 22-year-old has moved to Old Trafford on the back of a 21-goal season in Germany last term.

To have added Sesko to the signings of Mbeumo and Cunha ahead of the start of the season is a massive boost for United and Amorim, who must be feeling incredibly tempted to unleash his three new attackers as a trio for the first time against Arsenal on Sunday.

After missing out on Liam Delap, seeing Viktor Gyokeres goiito Arsenal and running the rule over Ollie Watkins only to see Aston Villa make it crystal clear he was not for sale, there was a risk United's striker search could have still been ongoing in the closing stages of the window.

Sesko was not their first-choice option but they have landed themselves one of Europe's most highly-rated strikers, whose name has been linked with several big-name clubs over the last few years.

In securing his signature, United have ensured their biggest objective on their to-do list has been ticked ahead of a ball being kicked. That is a massive positive just in itself.