Benjamin Sesko was not the biggest or most spectacular signing of last summer - but he could prove to be the best after hitting a rich vein of form
Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko is in brilliant form for Manchester United(Image: Getty Images)
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Benjamin Sesko took a while to get going. But now it looks as if he will be very difficult to stop. And that is why the Manchester United striker might just prove to be the best of all the big-money centre forwards signed last summer.
Sesko is 22, looks raw but has got so much potential and great attributes like pace, power and fantastic ability in the air.
If you compare him to the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike then he was by no means the most expensive or spectacular.
It almost felt like an afterthought when he went to Old Trafford because Arsenal had tracked him for so long until they ended up signing Gyokeres.
But at £74m and when you consider his age - he has so many years in front of him and time to develop - he has arguably the most potential of all.
Joao Pedro looks a very good signing for Chelsea because he has pace, movement and is intelligent enough also to play different roles. He can play as a centre forward, wide and also as a No.10. He looks the real deal.
Ekitike has 15 goals in all competitions and one of the best parts about him is his mentality and his determination to fight for his place even after Alexander Isak arrived at Liverpool for more money.
Gyokeres is at least getting goals now and was voted Arsenal’s Player of the Month for January but he is 27 and will not get any faster and it is hard to imagine him improving his level too much.
You could see Mikel Arteta screaming as Gyokeres kept running down the left channel, going one-on-one with Trevoh Chalobah and not having the speed to get away or guile to get past him.
Michael Carrick talks with Benjamin Sesko after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
Sesko has thrived under Michael Carrick(Image: Visionhaus, Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Sesko now has eight goals and is beginning to get starts in the team which he more than justified against Crystal Palace on Sunday with that powerful header.
So many clubs looked. Newcastle wanted to sign him. Arsenal chased him for more than a year but ignored data and went on a recommendation to sign Gyokeres over Sesko based on the here and now because he is ready to go.
But Sesko is already showing he is ready to go. He could be a star at United for the best part of a decade - and will end up proving people wrong, too.
Sesko has physicality to rival Erling Haaland and, while he is nowhere near that league yet, he could become a huge star. He has all the ingredients.
It is always about the right time, the right manager and the right opportunity with any striker. And a huge slice of luck.
At first, it did not look great for Sesko under Michael Carrick. But his pace and finishing ability made it inevitable that he would start after his starring and goalscoring role as a supersub.
Now, given the right opportunities, Sesko has got a huge opportunity in front of him. And that could just end up making him last summer’s best striker signing.
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