Manchester United looked to transform their attack last summer, bringing in Benjamin Sesko in a big-money move.
Adapting to English football isn’t an easy task for players, especially at a young age. And it took Sesko a bit of time to settle in.
The Slovenian international had to quickly get used to a new style of play, culture, league physicality, and more. So it’s completely reasonable that he didn’t hit the ground running straight away.
Despite the former RB Leipzig man not being a guaranteed starter at Old Trafford at the moment, his goal record speaks for itself.
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In this article, we’ll cover
Changing his role
Sesko developed a reputation for his ball-striking ability at RB Leipzig, scoring a number of wondergoals that placed his name up in lights.
As a result of Sesko regularly looking to score from range, he was getting fewer opportunities inside the box. He also outperformed his Expected Goals significantly, due to finishing low xG chances.
There’s an argument to suggest this level of outperforming of his xG is unsustainable, and Sesko would need more high-quality chances to continue scoring consistently.
Since making the move to Man Utd, Sesko has been more of a penalty box striker. His chances have predominantly fallen between the width of the goal posts and in and around the penalty spot.
This is a much more consistent and sustainable way of scoring goals, with Sesko now finding the back of the net almost in line with his xG.
Sesko’s opportunities in the Premier League have been more of a central cluster, with his role changing since joining Man Utd.
As mentioned, Sesko has now become a penalty box striker. Whereas, at Leipzig, he was tasked with dropping deeper to get involved in build-up, vacating central areas to get on the ball.
Sesko is now a lot less involved outside of the box. It allows the likes of Matheus Cunha, Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes to be the creative sparks in the side. Sesko now focuses on getting into the penalty area to convert chances.
Sesko’s role at Man Utd should see him enjoy a successful time at the club in terms of goalscoring, especially when you have a player of Fernandes’ creative ability to consistently produce high-quality opportunities.
Although Sesko is predominantly playing a role that sees him get on the end of opportunities in the box, he also offers a serious threat in transition. The powerful striker suits Man Utd’s counter-attacking style, using his pace to get in behind the defence. But he’s the ideal mix where he’s also a major presence in the box.
Sesko’s goalscoring among the best
Sesko has scored nine Premier League goals so far this season. But a lot of his appearances have come from the bench.
When on the pitch, it’s rare that Sesko doesn’t find the back of the net. He has scored 0.62 goals per 90 minutes this season, ranking fifth in the Premier League.
In terms of open-play goals, Sesko ranks second in the league, while he averages more shots on target per 90 than any other player.
If Man Utd can continue to create the number of opportunities they are for Sesko in high-quality areas, then there’s no reason why he can’t continue his current level of scoring.
Sesko is still only 22, so he’s far from reaching his full potential. Man Utd must be thinking they hit the jackpot by securing his signature last summer. The Red Devils would be pleased with this level of goalscoring from an established Premier League striker. But for Sesko to be hitting these levels in his first season of English football is incredibly impressive.
Sesko’s form has particularly imprved under Michael Carrick. The former Middlesbrough boss must keep utilising him in this penalty box role. Sesko has still struggled to become a regular starter under Carrick, but he must be considering giving him a more prominent role.
The Slovenian has scored five goals over the past seven Premier League games. And four of those goals came off the bench. Carrick will likely be weighing up whether Man Utd will have more success when Sesko is brought on late in games, or if he deserves to be playing more regularly from the off.
Sesko has started four Premier League games in 2026, scoring three goals during those matches. The towering Man Utd forward has the ability to find the back of the net when played from the start. And given Bryan Mbeumo’s recent struggles in front of goal, it’s time for Carrick to give Sesko a run of Premier League starts.
If Man Utd continue to create high-quality chances, there’s no reason why Sesko can’t continue to flourish.