Benjamin Sesko was presented to the crowd.(Image: 2025 Daniel Chesterton/Offside)
Everyone at Old Trafford was delighted to see Benjamin Sesko unveiled before the Fiorentina friendly - everyone except Rasmus Hojlund, who started the final pre-season friendly of the summer on the bench.
Manchester United introduced Sesko alongside Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego Leon, with the loudest cheer reserved for Sesko after his £66.4million arrival from RB Leipzig.
The official announcement of Sesko's transfer came on the morning of the game. Sesko arrived in Manchester on a private jet on Thursday evening and completed his medical the following day. United deserve huge credit for wrapping up the deal in a no-nonsense fashion, despite competition from Newcastle.
Sesko has been signed to help sharpen United's attack. United scored a measly 44 goals in the Premier League last season and Sesko scored almost 50 per cent of that total (21 goals) in all competitions.
Hojlund contributed just four league goals in 2024/25. The Denmark international was overlooked for Mason Mount against Fiorentina, which felt like another nail in the coffin for his United career.
Ruben Amorim praised Hojlund during the United States tour and his performances were better. However, Amorim sent a message by starting Mount as the false nine and naming Hojlund on the bench against Fiorentina.
Hojlund's prospects of another season in Manchester don't look good when he isn't chosen to start when Sesko isn't in the squad, and he is overlooked for a midfielder in his position.
Mount worked hard, but he did not provide a focal point at the tip of the attack and Hojlund probably would have done a better job, which suggests Amorim does not have him in his plans.
Amorim even rejigged his front line for the second half, moving Mbeumo from the right into the middle. Hojlund was overlooked for the second time and ended the game as an unused substitute.
Sesko was unveiled on Saturday.
The 22-year-old won't have watched Sesko's unveiling with a smile on his face because the arrival of the Slovenia international is expected to lead to his departure from the club.
In different chats with journalists throughout the summer, Hojlund has reiterated he wants to stay and fight for his place, but the decision could be taken out of his hands. United are prepared to listen to offers in the region of £30m for Hojlund and a loan offer could also be considered.
It wouldn't have been easy for Hojlund to watch Sesko being paraded at Old Trafford, the signing who could bring an end to his time in Manchester.
Hojlund regressed spectacularly last season. He was certainly not the only underperformer, but his regression was stark and contributed to United's biggest problem: their lack of goals.
It was also interesting to hear Amorim speak about Sesko before kick-off. "He has the characteristics that we needed," he told MUTV. "Ben is a player that, with all the information that we have, we need to stop the guy from working - it is not the opposite! That is also important.
"He is really young, he is good in the air, he is good running the channels and he is good on the ball, so I think he has great potential. I think he can improve a lot. For sure, he is going to feel at home in our club. He is the right character in this group so we are really, really happy to have him."
Amorim's selection against Fiorentina showed he does not believe Hojlund has the "characteristics" that United need. Hojlund had last season to convince Amorim and his audition was unsuccessful.
However, it is slightly ironic that Sesko has a similar profile to Hojlund. They are the same age and Sesko is unproven in the Premier League, so his signing does come with a degree of risk.
United need Sesko to achieve much more than Hojlund has during his time at Old Trafford.