Manchester United are still looking to add a new striker to their ranks this summer and it is currently looking like either Ollie Watkins or Benjamin Sesko.
After already adding Matheus Cunha from Wolves and Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, both of whom overachieved their xG last campaign, Man United are still looking to strengthen their attacking unit ahead of the new season.
The Red Devils generated 56.66 xG during the 24-25 Premier League campaign, scoring 42 goals and therefore underperforming against their xG by -14.66, the second lowest in the league only better than Crystal Palace.
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Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund struggled last campaign, with the former netting just three times and the latter managing four goals in the league.
Ruben Amorim will be looking for a much better showing from his side in his first full season in charge, and could well be hoping a new striker comes through the door to aid this.
Ollie Watkins vs Benjamin Sesko
Watkins has proven himself as a Premier League goalscorer over the past few seasons, scoring 75 league goals in 184 appearances, also providing 36 assists.
The 29-year-old has had 20+ G/A in his last three Premier League seasons, with his best output coming in the 23-24 campaign, where Watkins netted 19 goals and provided 15 assists, only bettered by Cole Palmer for overall output.
Watkins is very much a striker that can sniff out goals in the penalty area, averaging 6.3 touches in the opposition box per 90, scoring 0.6 goals per 90 with all of his goals coming from inside the box.
Sesko, on the other hand, only averaged 3.7 touches in the opposition box per 90, scoring 0.5 goals per 90 with 0.4 from inside the box and 0.2 from outside the box.
The 22-year-old is more of a maverick in this sense, happy to take shots from range and having an eye for the spectacular.
His combination of self confidence, quality and aerial presence (standing at 6ft 5) has even seen the Slovenian compared to an ex-Manchester United striker, Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Better Man Utd fit: Watkins or Sesko?
Watkins suits the recruitment style Manchester United have opted for so far this transfer window, buying Premier League proven stars who can improve their squad.
The England international also outperformed his xG last season, much like Cunha and Mbeumo, with a +0.7 G-xG.
Watkins is also a willing runner, averaging 0.3 fast breaks per 90 which would suit Amorim’s approach looking to hurt teams in transition moments with verticality.
However, at 29-years-old, Watkins would be joining as a shorter term fix, lacking any resale value and therefore making his price point an important factor in the deal.
On the other hand, Sesko is just 22-years-old and whilst he would demand a higher transfer fee, the Slovenian has a much longer shelf life and potential.
Sesko also outperformed his xG in both of his Bundesliga campaigns, ending the 23-24 season with a +6.3 G-xG and the 24-25 season with a +3.0 G-xG.
Both strikers offer different qualities for Amorim, with Sesko thriving more outside the box with his link up play and raw technical quality, whilst Watkins is a more experienced box poacher, who brings guaranteed goals and high level movement.
Whilst Sesko is the more exciting option, having the potential to become one of the best strikers in world football, it would likely be a much bigger risk for the Red Devils, in a time they cannot really afford to take them.
Therefore, Watkins would be the smart choice for United, adding another proven goalscorer to their ranks, one who knows the league inside out and can hit the ground running for Amorim in a crucial campaign for the Portuguese boss.