Manchester United introduced a new front three in Ruben Amorim over the summer. With Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho both leaving the club, the Red Devils need depth in their forward areas.
To further strengthen his strength at the top, Sir Jim Ratcliffe spent more than £200m building a new front line. Matheus Cunha joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m.
Their new number 9 was Benjamin Sesko. He was signed on loan from RB Leipzig at a cost of £74m for United. He scored back-to-back goals heading into the recent international break.
Brian Mbeumo was also signed from Brentford for £71m including his signing fee. It was also a strong start to the campaign for the Cameroonian star.
Comparing Mbeumo’s start to other big six wingers
Understandably, there will be a lot of pressure on United’s new number 19. He had an exceptional season at Bournemouth last season, scoring 28 goals and assisting in 38 Premier League games.
However, the 26-year-old has started the season well. He has already scored two goals and provided one assist in eight games for United.
His first Premier League goal came against Burnley and he set up Mason Mount’s goal against Sunderland.
But how do these stats compare to other right-sided attackers in the Big Six? Well, Mohamed Salah has had two goals and two assists so far in the Premier League, but he has had a somewhat disappointing start to the season. These are the same numbers that Phil Foden has recorded in all competitions.
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s main right-wing option, has scored three goals in all competitions, while Tottenham Hotspur’s Mohamed Kudus has scored five. For Chelsea, Estevao has been a main disruptor on the right flank, scoring goals and assists, including the late winner against Liverpool.
Overall, Mbeumo’s numbers are comparable to some of his rivals. The scary thing for opponents is that United are brewing a homegrown version of the Cameroonian star in Carrington.
United’s birthplace Mbeumo
Mbeumo is still 26 and not yet in his prime, but United fans are always happy to know they have a very talented right-sided attacker in their academy.
The Cameroonian is the perfect player for him to learn from.
In fact, Red Devils fans should be excited about 17-year-old winger Bendito Mantato. The England under-18 international has been a star in the academy in recent years, with manager Amorim inviting him to first-team training this week.
The forward is a versatile player who can play on both flanks as well as left-back. However, he scored and assisted in just two games while operating as a right-winger under Darren Fletcher in the Under-18s.
Admittedly, those numbers are impressive, but Carrington’s overall statistics for the U-18 team show that he has been a threat to opposing defenders for several seasons. He made just 23 appearances in the Under-18 Premier League, scoring 14 goals and providing three assists.
Mantato – U18s PL | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | goals and assists |
2022/23 | 4 | 0 |
2023/24 | 7 | 6 goals & 2 assists |
2024/25 | 11 | 7 goals |
2025/26 | 1 | 1 goal & 1 assist |
Transfermarkt statistics | ||
The 17-year-old is a player with good instincts in the penalty area and is a great threat for wingers. This strike against Arsenal in last season’s FA Youth Cup illustrates just that.
It was similar to Mbeumo’s goal against Burnley this season, highlighting the similarities between the two players.
Mantato is undoubtedly an exciting prospect, with Academy Scoop, the Red Devils’ academy page on X, calling him “one of the club’s most talented individuals”. Considering the high quality of Carrington’s academy, this is certainly a high rating.
It will be interesting to see how Mantato’s development progresses and how similar he is to Mbeumo when he eventually breaks into first-team football.
