Is Benjamin Sesko simply yet another Rasmus Hojlund, or can he be Manchester United‘s starting number nine for years to come? That much is still to be decided.
There are certainly parallels to Hojlund’s first season at Old Trafford, with the Dane – now on loan at Napoli – enduring a slow start after initial disruption due to a back injury, having waited until Boxing Day to score his first Premier League goal.
A glut of goals over the winter period followed, having scored in six successive games, as the ex-Atalanta man ended the 2023/24 season with ten league goals, while finishing as the top scorer in all competitions.
In Sesko’s case, his own muted, injury-hit beginning has been followed by a stellar start to the New Year, with eight goals already in 2026 ensuring he sits atop the pile for both league goals and all competition goals at United.
Hojlund vs Sesko – first PL season
Hojlund
Stat (*per game)
Sesko
30 (25)
Games (starts)
26 (13)
10
Goals
9
217
Mins per goal
148
26%
Goal conversion
17%
13
Big chances missed
11
2
Assists
1
0.9
Key passes*
0.3
77%
Pass accuracy*
69%
38%
Total duels won*
39%
22.8
Touches*
18.1
6.6
Ball lost*
6.1
Whether the Slovenian can build on this recent momentum remains to be seen, however, with a new striker signing potentially in the works.
The latest on Man Utd’s search for a striker
After landing a third youthful centre-forward in succession last summer, with the £74m investment in Sesko, there is a sense that a more experienced marksman is needed ahead of 2026/27.
With Joshua Zirkzee likely to be on his way after scoring just two league goals all season, and with European football likely to be back on the agenda, United need further firepower at the top end of the pitch.
Reports earlier this week did suggest that United were pursuing something of Zlatan Ibrahimovic-style, short-term move for Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland hero set to be out of contract this summer at Barcelona.
Elsewhere too, more recent reports have indicated that INEOS have already held talks over a deal for Paris Saint-Germain’s Goncalo Ramos.
Those fresh negotiations have come amid United’s desire to fend off rival interest in Bruno Fernandes’ Portugal teammate, with the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur also in the frame.
In terms of a price tag, it is not made clear how much a deal would cost those at Old Trafford, although the 24-year-old previously made the move to Paris on a £70m deal from Benfica in 2023.
Why Ramos would be an upgrade on Sesko
With Sesko showing so much promise of late, there will be a feeling that spending big on another number nine will only harm his progress moving forward.
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That said, as the aforementioned Hojlund found, the 22-year-old can’t do it alone, while the fact that he isn’t actually a consistent starter showcases that there is still room for improvement.
In years gone by, United have either gone for the experienced veteran, a la Ibrahimovic, or the young up-and-comer, yet Ramos could represent something of a happy medium.
Like Sesko, he hasn’t necessarily been a guaranteed start in Luis Enrique’s fluid forward line at the Parc des Princes, although when the Portuguese has featured, he typically takes his chance.
Indeed, in 2025/26 so far, his tally of 12 goals in all competitions places him ahead of every player back at Old Trafford, including Sesko, with that a solid record considering the in-demand forward has started on 12 games in that time.
In 18 starts last term, meanwhile, the clinical marksman hit 19 goals across all fronts, having overcome an ankle injury which disrupted the first part of that season.
Across his almost three-year stay in Ligue 1, Ramos has now scored 45 goals in 125 games, after previously netting 41 times in just 106 outings back in Lisbon.
He is recognised as “one of the best strikers in the world” for a reason, in the view of Fernandes, while also boasting the benefit of his creative impact, having created seven ‘big chances’ in the league since the start of 2024/25.
For comparison, in that same time period in the Bundesliga and Premier League, the towering Sesko has created just five ‘big chances’.
Ramos may not be truly prolific, but he’s already flourished at one of Europe’s elite clubs and secured Champions League glory to boot, alongside netting ten goals in just 24 senior games for his country.
Sesko may well go on to eclipse him later down the line, but if it is an immediate upgrade United are seeking, then Ramos could well be the man.
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