Reports this week stated that Benjamin Sesko will be out at least until January with a shin injury. The Slovenian last got on the pitch in a 3-2 loss in mid-September against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup; he has been managing this issue since the start of the year, and was unavailable for most of pre-season. Before one even gets to the negligence on the part of the board, it’s important to remind ourselves that Sesko was bought last season for a fee of £66.3 million with potential
add-ons up to £7.4 million. He was United’s most expensive signing despite not having proved himself at the highest level. His numbers were slightly better than Rasmus Hojlund’s, whom he was replacing.
He seems like the marginally better player at this moment, as he’s generally more involved in play than Hojlund was, but scored at a similar rate in the league last season to Hojlund’s first season. And like Hojlund, he made a slow start in the league before hitting some form in the second half. On the positive side, he was excellent off the bench for Michael Carrick, and helped United get over the line regularly. If it wasn’t for his goals, United might’ve gone through the downward spiral they’re in currently a lot earlier. He’ll be a big miss for a squad that needs all the help it can get.
There’s no doubt that a top team will always have a place for a player like Sesko: he’s reasonably quick, he can chip in with at least 10 goals in a season, his technique is decent, and he is handy in the air due to his size. However, it’s clear that he has got a lot of developing to do, and would work best as the back-up who can occasionally start games till he starts showing signs that he can lead the line. Even if he never fulfils his potential, someone who can hit double digits isn’t a bad option.
INEOS, however, bought him in as a starter as there were no other typical centre forward options, and they didn’t consider buying another forward this season despite knowing that he’s not ready for the mantle yet and is nursing an injury. It’s another case of not comprehending the demands of the club, and failing to address the issues that arise from that. The pickle INEOS find themselves in now is that Benjamin Sesko’s the sort of player who is dispensable and will have some market value since he’s quite young. He has the qualities a lot of sides might need, but his impact after two years has been limited, and if United find a better player, they’re better off selling him to acquire another.
Unfortunately for United, though, there are a lot of influential older players who will most likely leave after this season, and will need replacing before Sesko. These players will not fetch a big fee, which means that there won’t be a lot for United to work with in the market through player sales. It’s not possible to sell everyone in one window, nor is it advisable, as it’s important to keep players for continuity. A more prudent board would’ve foreseen the problem with buying potential for over £60 – the previous regime did this regularly – but INEOS don’t seem to have studied the situation that got United into this mess. The Sesko situation is a perfect representation of their failures.
