Man Utd told Benjamin Sesko 'looks like an academy player' as Premier League legend delivers brutal verdict on £74m striker

Despite the big money transfer in the summer transfer window, Sesko has yet to fulfil the expectations of United fans. The Slovenia international was brought in to solve their attacking crisis, which deepened in the 2024-25 campaign. The likes of Joshua Zirzkee, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford failed miserably as the club endured a nightmare campaign.

The dearth of quality attacking options forced Ruben Amorim to spend heavily in the last window as he brought in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, alongside Sesko. While Cunha and Mbeumo's performance has been satisfactory, Sesko has failed miserably, scoring just two goals across all competitions. 

Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler delivered his verdict on Sesko while comparing the United star to Arsenal summer signing Viktor Gyokeres. Fowler told Adventure Gamers: "For me, I think the obvious one is Gyokeres. He's probably better suited to the Premier League and he understands what is needed in terms of speed, energy and commitment. Whereas Sesko has probably struggled a little at times. He looks a little bit, I hope this doesn't come across wrong, but he looks a bit of an academy player. I have no doubt he's a good player. No one's questioning his ability, but at the minute I think out of those two, it's Gyokeres by far who looks better equipped."

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Newcastle icon Alan Shearer recently opened up on Sesko's early struggles at Old Trafford, slamming the Red Devils for spending heavily on his transfer. He told Betfair: "One player that must do better for United is Benjamin Sesko. They paid 70 odd million for him. That was a lot of money, I know it’s the market but it was too much. He’s had a tough start and I don’t expect huge things from him to be honest. I think he’s a good player but I’m not sure he’s any more than that. He should have scored a couple more goals than he has so far. It’s been a tough start for him, especially considering the money United paid."

In United's last outing against Tottenham, which ended in a 2-2 draw, Amorim introduced Sesko in the 58th minute, only to sub him off in the closing stages of the match after a robust challenge from Micky van de Ven left him injured. At the end of the game, the head coach expressed concern over the striker's condition, while ignoring questions on his form. The Portuguese coach said: "That is not the biggest concern now. That happens, especially with a striker. I am more concerned with an injury, because it's in the knee, we don't know, we need Ben to be a better team. I have no idea. Because it's the knee we never know."

According to a new Sky Sports report, the 22-year-old is expected to be sidelined for "at most" a month. That timeframe means Sesko will miss the club's upcoming Premier League fixtures against Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham, and potentially Wolves and Bournemouth if there are any delays. However, United view the outcome as a positive one, given the possibility he could have been ruled out longer.