Manchester United look to have finally secured the signing of RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, but club legend Paul Scholes has now shared his concerns for the 22-year-old striker
Manchester United icon Paul Scholes believes Benjamin Sesko may have been better off choosing Newcastle over the Red Devils. After an extended transfer battle with the Magpies, United look to be closing in on the towering Slovenian centre-forward after a bid of £66.4million, and a further £7.6m in add-ons, was accepted by RB Leipzig.
The 22-year-old is now jetting in for his medical as Ruben Amorim accelerates his transfer plans, but Scholes is concerned that United are shopping like-for-like. The 50-year-old is worried that Sesko hasn’t got much more experience than under-fire United striker Rasmus Hojlund did when he signed for United in 2023, with the Dane’s future now up in the air.
The club legend believes the Magpies would have fostered a better environment for Sesko to develop, claiming strikers at United must hit the ground running while under intense scrutiny.
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Scholes aired his concerns for United’s latest signing on The Overlap Fan Debate. He said: “From the point of Sesko… he’ll have more chance at Newcastle to develop which he needs. Now to be a Manchester United centre-forward, as we’ve found with Hojlund, a 22-year-old kid, you’ve got to be ready.
“It’s got to be now. And Hojlund just isn’t quite good enough for that as we’ve seen. But again, he’s not had a chance to be developed – going to Newcastle might have been the best thing for him, for two or three years.”
United have not only stolen a march ahead of Eddie Howe’s side for Sesko, but have also beaten them to the punch for Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, who were signed earlier in the window from Wolves and Brentford respectively.
Scholes, however, knows full well why United are a more attractive proposition than the north east side – but still isn’t convinced it’s the right deal for United to make.
“Which club are going to be successful first? Are Man United going to win the league before Newcastle – if they ever do? Of course they are,” Scholes said. “That’s why he wants to go there, but I’m saying, from a United point of view, is it the best bit of business? I still think you’re in the same boat as having Hojlund.”
Sesko’s impending arrival, as well as the signings of Mbeumo and Cunha, looks certain to doom Hojlund’s time at United. Sources close to the Dane have hinted that he may ultimately need to consider a move before the transfer deadline, if he remains out of favour.
However, during the recent pre-season tour in America, Hojlund, who has scored 26 goals in 95 appearances for United, expressed his determination to secure a spot in Amorim’s team.
“I think my plan is very clear and that is for me to stay and fight for my spot, whatever happens,” he said. “I’m still very young. I think people forget that sometimes. I’m only 22. Obviously, not every striker is scoring 100 goals at the age of 22.
“Competition is fine with me. It sharpens me. I’m more than ready. I’m feeling sharp, so I’m welcoming everything that comes. I think it’s good with competition and it only sharpens the team.”
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