Benjamin Sesko: Gary Lineker reveals why United ace needed time to settle | OneFootball

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko has been in rejuvenated form since the turn of the year. The Slovenian was brought to the Theatre of Dreams from RB Leipzig last summer in a bid to address the Red Devils’ goalscoring woes.

The Premier League giants were coming off a disappointing campaign, where they ended up 15th in the Premier League table, their worst finish in the Premier League era. While their run in the Europa League was a rare shining light, it also ended in heartbreak, as they were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

United managed just 44 goals in 38 Premier League games, and it was clear that their goalscoring issues were at the root of their struggles. The English giants swiftly addressed this weakness last summer, signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to add Premier League expertise to their starting XI.

The No. 9 position was also a concern following Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles, prompting the Red Devils to invest £74 million in Sesko’s signature. The Slovenian, however, endured a slow start to life at the Theatre of Dreams.

Sesko’s struggles at Old Trafford

Sesko’s arrival led to optimism among United fans, given that the player had emerged as one of the world’s most exciting young strikers at the Red Bull Arena. The Slovenian was handed his debut against Arsenal in the first game of the season, coming off the bench for the final 25 minutes in a 1-0 defeat.

Sesko’s first start came in the Manchester Derby, but he could not save his team from suffering a 2-0 defeat. The 23 year old scored his first goal for the Red Devils in the 3-1 defeat to Brentford in late September, and found the net once again in the following game, a 2-0 win over Sunderland.

Unfortunately, he endured a prolonged dip in form and failed to find the back of the net for the remainder of the year. However, his fortunes improved significantly after United parted ways with former head coach Ruben Amorim at the beginning of January.

Sesko has since scored six goals in his last seven games in all competitions, including winners against Fulham and Everton, as well as a vital equaliser in the 1-1 draw against West Ham United.

Benjamin Sesko Stats: 2025/26 Season

Source: Transfermarkt.

However, the Slovenian is yet to start a game under caretaker manager Michael Carrick, although he could finally get his chance against Crystal Palace this weekend. Sesko’s recent resurgence has now drawn praise from England legend Gary Lineker.

High praise for Sesko

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker pointed out that the Slovenian is starting to live up to the hype. He said: “Even Sesko, when he came on the last few games, he’s starting to look like a bit of a player here. He’s quick, he gets behind teams, he’s a big lad. Obviously, he’s good in the air.”

Lineker went on to suggest that Sesko’s slow start at Old Trafford could have been due to the team’s struggles under Amorim, adding: “So, you know, it’s taken him time to settle, but that’s probably the Amorim situation as well, which is all over the shop. Everyone was struggling for form.”

The Cunha-Sesko-Mbeumo trident combined to secure the hard-fought win against Everton earlier this week. The Brazilian initiated a sizzling counterattack by sending a glorious ball forward to the Cameroonian, who set up the Slovenian to score the only goal of the game.

Final Thoughts

Sesko is running high on confidence and needs more game time to reach an even higher level. The Slovenian is in a rich vein of form and Carrick must select him from the start against the Eagles to sustain United’s recent momentum.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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