Alan Shearer has admitted that he doesn’t have high hopes for Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko.
Sesko joined United for £73.7million in the summer as the Red Devils looked for a natural goal scorer but has had a slow start to life at Old Trafford, netting just twice in 12 matches so far.
The Slovenian star was not called up for his country’s matches against Kosovo and Sweden because of a knee injury picked up in United’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham before the international break. The scale of the problem has not yet been revealed.
Shearer knows a thing or two about goals, given he is the all-time top goal scorer in the Premier League with 260 strikes to his name throughout an illustrious career. And the former player-turned pundit hasn’t been impressed by Sesko so far, and suggested that the fee paid was too high from the start.
‘One player that must do better for United is Benjamin Sesko,’ Shearer told Betfair. ‘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.’
Shearer isn’t the only former top-level player to have criticised Sesko either. Two weeks ago, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said he thought Sesko is ‘miles off’ the standard of United’s other new attackers.
He said: ‘He’s miles off it compared to the other forwards United brought in, like Cunha and Mbeumo.
‘He looks awkward, his touch was off a few times when balls went over the top. For £80m (£73.7m), yes he’s young and still settling but you want to see something more.’
Neville was speaking after Manchester United’s 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago, during which Sesko had three shots but failed to hit the target.
The youngster cut an isolated figure, only having 21 touches – less than half that of any other starter for the team, despite playing the full game.
After a barren run of six games without a goal, there was a feeling that the Slovenian had turned a corner a few weeks ago when he netted in consecuitve games against Brentford and Sunderland.
But he has now drawn a blank in four more games, even when United have enjoyed an uptick in form.
His tally of goals, two in 12 games, is fewer than Rasmus Hojlund managed in the same period after he joined United in 2023. The Dane scored three.
