Alan Shearer has spoken on the risk of signing Slovenian forward Benjamin Šeško, as Manchester United battle Newcastle for the 22-year-old’s signature
As the Premier League Summer Series wraps up, Ruben Amorim is deep into preparations for his first full season in charge at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Manchester United remain active in the transfer market, pursuing several key targets to bolster the squad.
Reinforcing the attack has been a top priority for Amorim, and the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo suggest his tactical vision is beginning to take shape.
With just a month remaining in the transfer window, United are still looking to add an experienced centre-forward, a goalkeeper to challenge André Onana, and a defensive midfielder to partner club captain Bruno Fernandes.
Benjamin Šeško has emerged as United’s leading striker target. The 22-year-old Slovenian forward is also attracting strong interest from Newcastle, with United holding talks with RB Leipzig over the weekend in an effort to secure his signature.
Alan Shearer warns about the risks of signing Šeško
United and Newcastle find themselves as clear front runners for the Slovenian international, and reports suggest that Šeško is starting to lean towards the former, even though United have no European football to offer going into this season.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Alan Shearer warned about the risks of signing young talents who have not yet fully developed, saying: “With Sesko, I know he’s young, but that would be a gamble because you’re going to have to pay a decent-sized fee.
“I saw him two or three times in the Champions League last season and there’s definitely room for improvement.
“Yes, there’s certainly a talent there but there’s a lot of improvement that can be made as well. You’re bringing someone who’s unknown into the Premier League and that’s always a bit of a risk.”
This follows on from reports which suggested that Amorim would prefer to sign the experienced Ollie Watkins over Šeško this summer.
The risk of signing young talent
It’s easy to understand why United are prioritising a move for the Slovenian, owing to United’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell’s prior connections with the 22-year-old, playing a key role in Sesko’s signing for RB Salzburg in 2019.
Judging by the club’s business in the window so far, United have prioritised signing players with vital Premier League experience, and Ollie Watkins would have been a great option for Amorim in his tactical system, with the Englishman often looking to run the channels and hold up the ball to bring potential teammates such as Cunha and Mbeumo into play.
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Signing inexperienced young talent has not been a successful route to take for the club over the past few years, with a great example being the club potentially parting ways with Rasmus Højlund after just two seasons, despite the great promise he showed at Atalanta.
It’s been clear to see that United have been crying out for an experienced striker that would be able to lead the line, and potentially act as a mentor for talent such as Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee, instead of the two having the burden of solely leading the line.
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