Manchester United needed to sign a new No. 9 in the summer 2025 transfer window, and after months of deliberating on the best option and watching Arsenal sign Ruben Amorim’s former Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, Man United eventually signed Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.
At 85 million euros, Sesko ended up being more expensive than Manchester United and pretty much everyone else thought, as Leipzig drove an even harder bargain despite the fact that Sesko was technically their second-best striker behind the more experienced Lois Openda (who ended up going to Juventus).
Sesko is a massive talent, though, with his size, aerial ability, power, and finishing. His strikes from beyond range that are driven with force are among the prettiest in world football, and if he puts it together, he is THE solution for Manchester United with a much better fit and even more potential than the disappointing young strikers Man United have previously signed.
But Sesko is going to need time, and the best person to remind Manchester United fans of what they need to hear is legendary center back Rio Ferdinand, who is now one of the best pundits in the game.
Here’s what he said about keeping the patience with Sesko, believing it will take a minimum of a month for the Bundesliga standout to get up to speed with the Premier League, via the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler:
“He needs to get up to speed with the Premier League and that’s going to take at least a month before he can even start thinking he’s in a good enough position to put his best foot forward. Listen, he’s a young kid. He’s got huge potential, that’s not in doubt. But potential and proving it are two different things. It wouldn’t be right to say whether he can do it or not, time will be the biggest teller of all.”
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.