New signings take time to settle in, and after passing the midway point in the Premier League, Manchester United can be quietly happy with the progress of new arrivals.
When you look at the 2024-25 season as a whole, it has been pretty disastrous for Manchester United, with the team ranked in the bottom half of the table.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 12 |  TottenhamTottenham | 20 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 42 | 30 | 12 | 24 |
| 13 |  Man UtdManchester United | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 23 | 28 | -5 | 23 |
| 14 |  West HamWest Ham | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 24 | 39 | -15 | 23 |
Yet Ineos have always maintained that the project is a marathon and not a sprint, and there have been a couple of promising signs in 2025 already.
United’s FA Cup victory over Arsenal was a much-needed victory, demonstrating signs of progress for Ruben Amorim’s team.
And impressively, five players signed in the summer played key roles in the win, indicating that money may have been well spent after all.
Four successful signings
Manchester United’s summer signing spree saw the club spend £101 million net, buying players from Italy, Germany, and France.
And it’s looking like the majority of Ineos’ buys have been hits, especially with the way they have begun 2025.
Matthijs de Ligt is a crucial part of Ruben Amorim’s back three, and made his presence felt against Arsenal with an incredible block to deny Leandro Trossard a tap-in.
De Ligt is still only 25 and has a big future at United ahead of him. He is a leader, and player United can rely on, already making 25 appearances for the club.
His former Bayern Munich teammate Noussair Mazraoui has been an absolute hit, costing less than £13 million.
Mazraoui can play at wing-back or at centre-back in Ruben Amorim’s system, and together with De Ligt they have helped bring experience and know-how to United’s defence.
Leny Yoro has not had a lot of game time due to a pre-season injury, yet everything he has shown so far suggests he is going to be an impressive signing.
Yoro has impressed in cameos against Liverpool and Arsenal, and his billing as a ‘generational talent‘ looks to be spot on.
United are in luxurious position where Yoro does not need to play every game, and he can be eased in, and while Harry Maguire has earned a one-year extension, he will eventually overtake him.
Manuel Ugarte looks to be a roaring success. He possesses the kind of fighting spirit not seen in United’s midfield since the days of Roy Keane, evidenced with his involvement in the melee against Arsenal.
Pundits who wrote Ugarte off too early have already been embarrassed. He was outstanding against Liverpool
United look a weaker side when Ugarte is not on the pitch and a stronger team when he is included, and real thought needs to go into signing a viable back-up for him.
With Ugarte, De Ligt, Mazroui and Yoro looking like smart signings, Ineos can be pretty pleased with the way they have got four of five summer additions right.
One waiting to convince
Ineos and Manchester United need one more signing to come good to form a clean sweep. They aren’t there yet.
Joshua Zirkzee is the odd man out, a player who is yet to convince. There have been flashes, including a really strong cameo against Arsenal, which saw him score the winning penalty.
The main problem with Zirkzee is that his task is to score goals, and create them, and his tally for the season stands at just four, with one assist.
Zirkzee can still come good, it’s just not happened yet, not with the type of consistency United demand from a striker.
With Rasmus Hojlund not scoring with any type of consistency either, this is a position United need to strengthen in, and Zirkzee faces an uncertain future, not just in January, but in the summer.
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