Ngl, pretty excited to see what this guy can do in a United shirt. If you've been following me, you would know that I preferred Ollie Watkins as he is less of a risk and more of a guarantee but it's not as though I mind Sesko. The fact that we still had two great striker options to choose from is not something you see every day after missing out on so many top targets already, so I can't really complain especially when you look at the type of player Benjamin is 🔥.
As it is Sesko, there's no doubt that there is one heck of a striker with him and he will absolutely improve us but we must also remember that he is still raw and developmental. We shouldn't be expecting too much of him and putting unnecessary pressure on his shoulders, other than scoring 50 goals, a decent amount of them bangers, win the golden boot and help us lift the Premier League. Nothing much 😅.
With that being said, now that United have their new hitman, how exactly would the 22 year old fit into Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3? Would he fit at all?
Player Profile
Well as a matter of fact, he would!
The Slovenian possesses several attributes that would make him almost the ideal striker for this 3-4-3 system and for what Amorim is looking for in a no 9.
Strengths
Standing at almost 2m tall (1.95m), Sesko has an immense physical presence yet despite his height, the 22 year old is quite athletic. You've seen those pictures of him jumping in the sky for headers or bringing the ball down from on high.
He said his idol was Zlatan and we can see the resemblance.
Due to that height, he is a target man who can hold off defenders and win aerial duels, something we don't often see with Hojlund and Zirkzee despite the pair of them being relatively big as well.
Another surprising attribute of his is how fast he is. Sesko's 35.9km at Euro 2024 placed him at the top of the list for quickest players in that tournament. This could be used for runs in behind or stretch opposition defenses. The now former Leipzig man is known to make great diagonal runs to take defenders out of position.
When it comes to finishing, again, you could see similarities to Zlatan. Sesko is a clean striker of the ball particularly in time and space. It also doesn't matter which foot he uses as he is strong with both. As per that leap, he has the beating of most in the air as well.
Link-up play is another area of his game to admire. Sesko can drop deeper and link-up with teammates. His movement is key in this as he can initially move away from the player in possession before darting towards that teammate and receiving the ball into feet. His big frame comes into play here as well as he can pin defenders in order to keep possession.
Pressing is something that is key in the modern game and in Amorim's system. While Sesko is aggressive in the press, he can sometimes be too aggressive allowing for opponents to draw cheap fouls.
However, the fact that he does press well is a good thing as the United manager would want to see his striker initiate that press, which Sesko does. The no 9 also sets up traps with how he presses as he curves his runs forcing the ball into an area where an oncoming teammate is advancing.
Another positive is that Benjamin isn't injury prone. We know we have too many of those in our side.
Weaknesses
Sesko can sometimes have a Lukaku-like first touch. It is heavy especially in tight spaces when he's put under pressure. Not being able to make it stick in situations where United need an out ball could be a problem at times.
He is also not a player who is at his best when things are more compact. The Slovenian prefers space in order to thrive. Even his decision-making can be seen as inconsistent. Rushing shots or making the wrong pass can derail an attack and we know all about these at MUFC.
As he is still young and raw, there will be an inconsistency to his game which is why I said that while he is exciting, we will have to be patient because he will take time. There will be instances where he frustrates us and cocks up in certain moments.
Fit in Amorim's system
Given his size and attributes, Sesko could fit into the manager's 3-4-3 pretty seemlessly.
He is a traditional striker which I believe is what Amorim prefers over false 9s like Zirkzee or players who can do a job up front like both Mbeumo and Cunha. Sesko will also be that focal point which can allow the likes of the two no 10s and even wing-backs to be brought into the game with his hold-up play.
With his height, standing at 1.95m tall, he will be a target for crosses and with that leap of his, any ball that is slightly too high may not be out of reach for him. Hojlund and Zirkzee aren't the best in the air so putting balls into the box for them was kind of a waste. With Sesko's aerial ability, it will give Amorim another weapon in his attack.
While he may not be a false 9, that attribute of his to drop deeper at times will benefit the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo. When speaking to United legend Rio Ferdinand, Mbeumo said this regarding his former Brentford teammate and striker target of United's Ollie Watkins: “He can do a lot of things. He can drop to be available or go in behind. And that is really good for me as a winger because you can use his space to fit in there. Plus he can combine as well. It’s really good.”
Sesko pretty much ticks all those boxes as well even if he may not be as good at them as Watkins. Mbeumo and Cunhacan benefit from Sesko as well similarly as Mbeumo did with Watkins at Brentford.
With the Slovenian's pace, runs in behind will be a major threat for United with these runs creating space for others to exploit.
Counters and transitions are other strengths of his. Sesko is ideal for when turning defense into attack due to his speed and in space and time. Running at oppositions in these circumstances is where he is quite deadly. We know that we have this habit of wanting to play more on the counter so a striker like him will work in such situations.
United do tend to use the long ball a lot and Sesko gives us that outlet whenever we will do so. While he may not be a 'pressing monster', Sesko is great in the high press. We know how important that is to Amorim and is key in how he wants his team to win the ball back higher up the field.
What I like about Sesko is that he is a different profile of striker as he brings both size and speed. Usually, you get one or the other but very rarely both.
As I said, when coming up against low blocks, he could struggle as he won't have that space and time that allows him to showcase his strongest attributes. United usually come up against such oppositions so this might be a problem.
In these games, the manager may want that false 9 like Zirkzee instead of a more traditional striker. Defenders aren't used to the centre-forward who drops deep and likes to receive the ball into feet at the halfway line and so someone like the Dutchman maybe better suited in these type of matches.
So, in order to get the best out of Sesko, we need to play the passes in behind as his speed will cause him to beat most defenders, try to create space for him whenever possible, put balls into the box as his height and jump will give him an advantage and in general, just create chances for the lad. We don't want to be having a similar situation to that of Hojlund, Cavani, Ronaldo and anyone else who's played up front in recent years.
Verdict
I think this is a good signing. Sesko has been touted as one of if not the best up-and-coming striker in football. We do need to give him time because he is raw and developmental but he is most certainly exciting.
I like the fact that he is tall, fast and has a variety of finishing which will give us something different in attack. His numbers over the last two seasons may not be amazing (27 goals and 7 assists in 64 Bundesliga appearances) but in a side that has so much creativity like ours, those numbers will increase,
probably 😅.
There may not be that experienced striker to learn off of but there is no shortage of experience in the side. Two PL-proven no 10s behind him, midfielders like Casemiro and Bruno even further back, the likes of Mazraoui and De Ligt as well, they will help him out whenever he's struggling.
I believe he'll be more of a success than not. There will be times when we may think that we made a mistake, there will be times when we think we've brought in another Rasmus, but over time and with the quality he possesses as well as that around him and a manager like Ruben Amorim, Benjamin Sesko should be a success.
What do you think about United's new striker? Will he work out in this team and system? Will he be a success? And how excited are you to see the new hitman in action?
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Benjamin Sesko celebrating goal against Bayern Munich (24/25) | Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images via Get German Football News
Benjamin Sesko | Creator: Stuart Franklin | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2025 Getty Images via Goal