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Sir Alex Ferguson's former assistant manager has slammed Manchester United for making a move for Benjamin Sesko. He believes the RB Leipzig star is similar to Rasmus Hojlund, and they are repeating the mistake.
Speaking to Poker Strategy, Meulensteen claimed that Manchester United needed a striker who could come in and deliver straight away. He believes that Sesko is going to need time to adapt, and has the potential, but does not think it is the ideal pick for Ruben Amorim's squad. He said:
"Manchester United's bid for Benjamin Sesko is basically exactly what they did with Rasmus Hojlund. If he scores in the first three or four games and hits the ground running then he could be the answer for the club, but there's a chance that won't happen."
"If you look at Hojlund, he joined Atalanta and performed well alongside the rest of the team and then joined United. The same can be said for Sesko – the Bundesliga is a very different league to the Premier League, so he'll need to adapt. Has Sesko got potential? 100%, but he's still young and developing and he isn't the finished article."
Meulensteen went on to name the ideal option for Manchester United and said Ollie Watkins was the player they should have signed. He believes that the Aston Villa star would do better as he comes in with Premier League experience and said:
"I look at someone like Ollie Watkins who may be available. He's a hard-working player with similar features to Sesko, except that he already has Premier League experience which is priceless. I think Sesko would probably cost more than Watkins too."
"Why doesn't the club bring in Watkins and allow the coaches to work closely with Hojlund to allow him to develop? It's a waste of an investment otherwise – they paid close to £80m for him and they're in danger of selling him for less than half of that unless he develops."
Manchester United were interested in Watkins, but were unwilling to pay over £45 million. Reports earlier this month suggested the Aston Villa star was keen on the move, but the Red Devils had shifted focus to Sesko.
Manchester United battling Newcastle United for Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko has given his preference to Manchester United, according to The Athletic. The striker is also a target for Newcastle United, but is keen on making the switch to Old Trafford.
Newcastle United had a bid of €82.5 million with another €2.5 million in add-ons accepted by RB Leipzig this week. The Bundesliga side had rejected two previous bids from the Magpies, who are determined to sign the striker.
The Athletic have added that there is no agreement with the Red Devils, but the striker has agreed terms with them.
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