Why are Manchester United interested in Benjamin Šeško?

In their hunt for a striker, Erik ten Hag's Reds have turned their attention to Slovenian hitman Benjamin Šeško.

Why are Manchester United interested in Benjamin Šeško?
Image via Getty Images / Martin Rose
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By Rhys Jones

It is no secret that Manchester United have struggled for goals in recent months, and with Portuguese hitman Cristiano Ronaldo's search for a new club continuing, the Red Devils are seeking further afield for a new main man up front.

Previous targets Gianluca Scamacca and Paulo Dybala have both moved onto different clubs, West Ham United and AS Roma respectfully. This has caused United manager Erik ten Hag to search the breadths of the striker market, and as such, have landed on Red Bull Salzburg hotshot Benjamin Šeško

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  • Why are United chasing Šeško?

Although only 19,  Šeško has proven his quality at a young age. He is a physical phenomenon, standing at 6 foot 4 inches tall. The Slovenian also possess great speed alongside a fantastic first touch, as seen with his excellent piece of skill in his sides friendly with English outfit Liverpool

Šeško also grabbed himself a goal in the same friendly, as he helped his side to victory against the Reds. This alone will help with endearing him to United fans, even if a transfer were to fall through.

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He also has a keen eye for goal, grabbing 10 goals in 36 outings during the 2021/22 season. On top of this, Šeško has bagged his first goal of the season already this term, scoring in RB Salzburg's victory of Austria Vienna.

Alongside playing in Europe at 19, Šeško also has international experience. The striker has appeared 13 times for the Slovenian national team, bagging himself two goals along the way. The striker certainly has the pedigree to play for the English giants.

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  • So, how much will he cost?

While transfermarkt.co.uk value Šeško at £9 million, Salzburg would ask for a lot more. Some of the quoted prices by news outlet have the price in the region of £50 million. While this is a lot for a 19-year old, the striker is seen as 'The Next Haaland'. 

In a move similar to the Red Devils move for then teenage Frenchman Anthony Martial, ideally for United fans, Šeško would come in and have an immediate impact, as Martial did. 

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  • How does he compare to United's current striking options?

Everyone knows how much Manchester United struggled in front of goal last season. Putting aside Cristiano Ronaldo's 18 Premier League goals last season, United's other strikers were less than prolific. 

English winger Marcus Rashford struggled last season scoring just four Premier League goals last season. Even worse than that, Anthony Martial failed to score a league goal while on loan at Spanish side Sevilla. Swedish youngster Anthony Elanga managed two league goals, while £73 million summer signing Jadon Sancho amassed just three strikes in the league.

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Hopefully, the Slovenian bagsman can add some much needed goals to an attack that's firepower is dwindling.

  • How can ten Hag use Šeško in his system?

Šeško would provide an entirely different dynamic to the other attacking options in the Manchnian's side. He could act as a focal point as Sebastian Haller did for ten hag's former side Ajax. Haller is a prime example of how a tall striker can work in a pressing system. The Ivorian bagged himself 11 goals in the UEFA Champions League and an impressive 21 goals in the Eredivise

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The Slovenian's speed and strength can assist ten Hag's pressing style, alongside his high work ethic, similar to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. With the creativity of Jadon Sancho and new summer signing Christian Eriksen, Šeško would be able to use his expert finishing skills to grab goals for the Red Devils

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While nothing is advanced at this stage, United are certainly interested in the RB Salzburg man. It would definitely be a transfer I would like to see, with the Slovenian's game suiting the Premier League to a tee. There's a long way to go in the transfer market and, of course, anything can change. However, this is absolutely a move to keep an eye on.