 "Striker Benjamin Sesko made his Manchester United debut from the bench in their season-opening game against Arsenal at Old Trafford. AP")
Manchester United, especially under-fire manager Ruben Amorim, have a lot of hopes tied to the attacking trio of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha after splurging over £200 million on them during the summer transfer window.
United, after all, had endured an abysmal run in the 2024-25 season, registering their worst Premier League season ever by finishing 15th on the table. And their defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the UEFA Europa League meant that they would not be playing any European football this year.
Amorim, who had enjoyed a trophy-laden stint with Sporting CP before his arrival at Old Trafford, understandably will be anxious for his new signings to deliver and help the Red Devils begin the 2025-25 season on a strong note.
However, ex-Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann has warned Amorim’s men that £74 million signing Sesko could turn out to be a case similar to Darwin Nunez at Liverpool.
‘Probably a bit better than Nunez’
Uruguayan forward Nunez had arrived at Anfield from Portuguese top-flight club Benfica for a sum of €75 million (£64 million) in 2022, and was sold to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal for €53 million (£46 million) earlier this summer after a three-year stint that was largely lacklustre.
“I’m not sure if Manchester United fans want to hear it, but I think Benjamin Sesko is a pretty similar player to Darwin Nunez. I think Sesko has got the body, he’s got the height, he’s got the pace. I think he’s got a better touch than Nunez,” Hamann, a Liverpool icon himself who had starred in the famous 2005 UEFA Champions League triumph, told CasinoHawks.
“He’s technically a very gifted player, but he’s a powerful young lad. Nunez is probably the one I would compare him with in recent years.
“I’d say his finishing is probably a bit better than Nunez, but he’s got to prove it. He did it at times at Leipzig, but he’s really in the spotlight now at Manchester United,” added the 51-year-old, who was part of the German team that finished runners-up at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Sesko had scored 39 goals in 87 appearances in a two-year stint with RB Leipzig before his high-profile transfer to United.
The Slovenian striker had attracted interest from a number of top clubs during the summer window, and even rejected an offer from the Saudi-backed Newcastle United in favour of playing under Amorim at United, even if the deal came with no European football this season.