Manchester United made an approach to sign a “brilliant” player, but they were too late, with bitter rivals Liverpool winning the race for his signature.
Man Utd's summer signings under question after poor start
Despite a 3-2 victory over Burnley last time out offering some respite, Man United have undoubtedly made a poor start to the new campaign, having infamously been knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town at the second-round stage.
As such, there are some justified concerns about some of the Red Devils’ summer acquisitions, not least Benjamin Sesko, who is yet to make his mark, having mainly been utlised as a substitute, and failed to open his goal-scoring account.
However, Sesko believes he will soon find his feet once he adjusts to the Premier League, recently saying: “The level of the matches is certainly much higher, the players and teammates are also at a higher level,”
“After all, English football is at the highest level in the world of football.
“But I am very much looking forward to the coming period, also because I am getting better and faster in every training session, and I am also progressing in my football mentality every day.”
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The jury is still out on the Slovenian, but it has recently been revealed that Man United could’ve signed a different striker, who has made a flying start to life in the Premier League.
Indeed, according to a report from The Athletic, Man United made a late approach to sign Hugo Ekitike before his transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool, but the wheels were already in motion for a move to Anfield.
As such, United’s bitter rivals ultimately came out on top in the race for Ekitike’s signature, and he has since gone on to impress for Arne Slot’s side, although there are signs the Slovenia international could soon be capable of making a similar impact.
How Sesko's goal-scoring record compares to Ekitike's
The Frenchman, who is widely reported to earn £200k-a-week, has scored three goals in his first four games for Liverpool, with Jamie Carragher lauding the 23-year-old for the “brilliant” start he’s made to life in England.
However, Sesko actually had a slightly better goals-per-game record in the Bundesliga during his time with RB Leipzig, averaging 0.42, compared to 0.40 from Liverpool’s summer signing.
Player
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Benjamin Sesko
64
27
7
Hugo Ekitike
47
19
10
Carragher and Roy Keane also agreed that it is “too early to tell” whether Sesko will be a success, given that he is yet to be given a proper run of games, so he should not be judged properly until after the international break.