Benjamin Šeško Could Be Manchester United’s Next Expensive Mistake

Once again, Manchester United have been somewhat busy in the transfer market, securing the signings of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha in a bid to revive their chances of competing seriously in the Premier League, and the newest name rumoured in the media is Benjamin Šeško.

After an abysmal finish last season, the club knows attacking reinforcements are non-negotiable. One major talking point remains the pursuit of a top-class striker – someone who can actually convert the chances created.

Judging by the last two seasons, Rasmus Højlund hasn’t quite hit those numbers, and the addition of Joshua Zirkzee to the mix last season didn’t shift the needle either.

Now, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško being linked, United must ask themselves: are they about to repeat the same mistake?

Benjamin Šeško’s Profile – Hype vs Reality

There’s no denying Benjamin Šeško ticks a lot of boxes. At 6’5″, he offers a physical presence that naturally draws comparisons to Erling Haaland. He’s quick, can carry the ball over distance, and is deceptively agile for his size.

Last season at RB Leipzig, he scored 13 goals in the Bundesliga – an impressive return for the now 22-year-old, especially considering he only became a regular starter in the second half of the campaign. The numbers and highlight reels suggest a striker who’s only going to get better.

But here’s the catch: potential is not what United need right now.

They already have a raw, developing forward in Højlund. Bringing in Šeško risks creating the same imbalance – two promising strikers, neither of whom is yet ready to consistently lead the line for a club as demanding as Manchester United.

For all of Šeško’s upside, he still struggles with consistency, decision-making in the final third, and operating against deep defensive blocks – a scenario United frequently face.

In short, he’s exciting – but is he ready for this stage, this pressure, and this timing?

The Striker Conundrum

While Benjamin Šeško is undoubtedly talented, he remains unproven in the Premier League, and what impact he might have at Manchester United is still unclear.

The club finds itself at a crossroads – either go all in for a proven, top-level striker or hold off entirely. But with that window seemingly closed after missing out on Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyökeres, United now face a tricky dilemma: settle, or wait.

Šeško may simply be the wrong solution to a very urgent problem.

Let’s Take a Look at the Numbers

The common trend between the last two striker signings is that they failed to reach the heights they were signed for. Whether it’s the physicality of the league or the pressure of playing for Manchester United, they’ve struggled to deliver when it matters.

The Mistake United Keep Making

Manchester United’s striker signings over the past decade tell a frustrating story – one the club seems doomed to repeat.

From Højlund to Zirkzee, there’s been a consistent tendency to bet on raw talent over ready-made quality. These players arrive young, full of potential, and almost always burdened with unrealistic expectations from day one.

Højlund, for example, was expected to be United’s long-term No. 9 solution when he arrived from Atalanta. Yet, despite showing flashes of promise, his goal return hasn’t met the demands of a club trying to claw its way back to the top.

The addition of Joshua Zirkzee last season was meant to ease the burden, but he, too, failed to provide the cutting edge United desperately needed.

What’s becoming clear is that United aren’t just signing the wrong players – they’re signing the right profiles at the wrong time. Šeško may go on to become a world-class striker, but putting him in this chaotic, pressure-cooker environment could stall his growth – and further delay United’s climb back to relevance.

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What Manchester United Actually Need

What Manchester United truly need right now isn’t another high-potential forward – it’s a striker who’s already been through the fire.

Someone who doesn’t need two or three seasons to adapt. Someone who can arrive, slot in, and score goals consistently. They need a forward with the mentality to handle pressure, the experience to navigate tight games, and the maturity to lift those around him.

For a team that often struggles to break down deep blocks and convert dominant spells into goals, the striker role can no longer be treated as a long-term experiment.

A proven finisher with elite movement and calmness in front of goal – that’s the profile Manchester United should be desperate for. Not another “project,” not another maybe.

Šeško, for all his upside, doesn’t fit that bill just yet. He’s still developing his game, still learning how to influence matches across 90 minutes, and still untested in a league as physically and tactically demanding as the Premier League.

Signing him now, in the middle of a rebuild that’s already short on time and patience, feels like trying to solve the wrong problem.

A Time for Clarity, Not Panic

With the likes of Osimhen and Gyökeres now off the market, Manchester United have clearly missed the opportunity to secure the kind of proven striker they need. But that doesn’t mean the solution is to fire at the wrong target out of urgency.

Panic buys have never served Manchester United well – if anything, they’ve prolonged the rebuild.

Rather than forcing a move for Šeško just to tick the striker box, the smarter approach would be to wait.

Holding off until the next transfer window, when better-suited options may become available, is far less risky than rushing into another high-potential signing that may not deliver what this team needs right now.

And right now, Manchester United can’t afford any more risky decisions – they’ve made enough of them already.

Main Photo

Credit: IMAGO / HMB-Media

Recording Date: 26.07.2025