The Slovenian striker is about to sign for Ruben Amorim’s squad and the capture of 22-year-old Sesko is a clear sign that the club still has major pulling power as it tries to recapture Premier League glory
Andy Dunn is the Mirror’s chief sports writer.
There could be many reasons why Benjamin Sesko would rather play for Manchester United than Newcastle United. Money could be one of them, obviously.
Perhaps, he would rather live in Manchester – or, more likely, South Cheshire – than on Tyneside. Maybe he is not overly fussed about Champions League football, or any European football, for that matter.
After all, despite not taking Newcastle’s higher offer, his wages will still be astronomical but his workload not so astronomical. But the most likely reason is that, for all its difficulties on and off the pitch, Manchester United remains Manchester United.
It is still a behemoth of a club, it is still a global phenomenon. It still attracts 72,000 people through the gates and could attract double that amount if it had room.
And whoever plays a key role in returning United back to the top of the Premier League will be feted like few others in the game. In the case of whether or not Ruben Amorim is the manager to perform that task, the jury is still out.
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He has talked a good game in pre-season, although his creation of a six-man leadership group seems a bit bizarre. On the evidence of last season, he has done well to find six leaders in that squad.
But it is a squad that is considerably improved by the arrival of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and, when it is rubber-stamped, Sesko. For a start, there looks to be a natural attacking balance between those three but there should also be a mutual hunger.
It may sound more than a touch idealistic but United’s new signings – and there could be more before the end of the window or even the start of the Premier League season – have a lot more to play for than a very heavy pay packet. Of course, there is a very big gap to bridge if United are to have a meaningful season-long battle with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
But while he played down decent form in the Summer Series in the States, a full pre-season will be crucial to Amorim’s mission. One of THE fundamental flaws of United teams over the last few years has been a very basic one.
They simply have not looked fit enough. And they were certainly not fit enough to achieve the sort of work-rate that Amorim’s preferred system demands.
That is why Amorim made sure the individual training regimes given to every player during their break were as detailed as possible. Word has it that the numbers from personal fitness tests have impressed the sports science staff.
When they get their Premier League season underway with that blockbuster game against Arsenal at Old Trafford, expect to see a fitter, leaner United. And when he does arrive in training in next week, Sesko will certainly be fit and lean.
This is a player who is quick, strong, scores goals and is good in the air – all qualities that have been rare at United for too long. He will not be some sort of saviour but the fact he wants to be at Old Trafford still tells you a lot about the club.
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