Man Utd told they risk 'destroying' £74m signing's career as Rasmus Hojlund comparison made
Manchester United loaned Rasmus Hojlund out to Serie A side Napoli where he recently scored his first goal for the club.
One of Machestern United’s biggest transfer mistakes in recent years was the signing of Rasmus Hojlund. They spent £72 million on the striker to sign him from Serie A side Atalanta; however, he struggled to hit the ground running at Old Trafford.
In two years with the Red Devils, Hojlund made 95 appearances, scoring just 26 goals. The striker really struggled last season, netting just four goals in the Premier League, sparking reports that United were looking to sell him in the summer window.
He left to join Napoli on loan, but with a £38m obligation to buy the Danish striker, if Napoli qualify for the Champions League, which is fairly likely considering they won Serie A last season. If Hojlund does leave for £38m, that is a loss of £34m two years after signing him, United can’t risk making the same mistake again.
Man Utd told Sesko risks Hojlund’s fate
United signed Benjamin Sesko from RB Lepizig as Hojlund’s replacement in the summer for a hefty fee of £74m, just £2m more than they paid for Hojlund in 2023, and he has struggled so far to hit the ground running.
Former United defender Paul Parker believes there is a genuine risk that Sesko’s career could be ‘destroyed’ much like Hojlund’s at Man United. Parker, speaking to Bet442, said: “I’m seeing a centre forward that isn’t getting enough of the ball, that doesn’t have players around him.
“You can see he wants to play balls round the corner, and if Cunha is making runs past him, he’s playing those balls round the corner, or he can use Cunha as a dummy. But he had no one running past him to affect the play and the centre halves, so he’s always two against one.”
Sesko made his first league start for United against Man City when Ruben Amorim’s side lost 3-0 over the weekend, his other start was in the Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town in August.
Parker added: “I’m giving Sesko the benefit of the doubt for the time being. It’s his first start, he’s been left hanging, he has been thrown to the wolves against Grimsby. This can’t be replicated again like with Hojlund where a centre forward doesn’t get the ball and all of a sudden, another young player’s career has been destroyed.”
Sesko’s underwhelming start to life at Man United
So far, the Slovenian international had made four Premier League appearances, including the one start against City. In those four games, he’s managed just five shots, amounting to a total xG of just 0.33, so it is no wonder that the 22-year-old is yet to score for United.
You can only assume that once Sesko gets off the mark, scoring his first goal, he will start more often and so contribute more, but so far, the start of his Man United career feels very similar to the end of Hojlund’s.
It ultimately comes back to Amorim’s system, as Sesko is clearly not receiving the service he needs to deliver goals. Whether that be down to the fact that the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo are taking matters into their own hands more, or that Amorim’s 3-4-3 doesn’t suit a big, tall target man striker in the Premier League, that remains to be seen.