Manchester United shelled out a whopping £36 million more than they’d planned to this summer, but it might just have saved them from a catastrophic transfer blunder.
That’s the stark reality emerging at Old Trafford, where a desperate search for a new striker after last season’s pathetic 15th place finish saw them miss out on initial target Liam Delap, only to watch him flounder at Chelsea while their own big money buy, Benjamin Sesko, finally shows signs of life.
The summer overhaul under INEOS had one glaring priority: fix an attack that managed a paltry 44 Premier League goals. The new regime’s blueprint demanded young, athletic forwards with resale value. Ipswich’s Liam Delap, with 12 top flight goals in a relegated side, fitted the bill perfectly. At just £30m due to a release clause, he seemed a steal.
But Delap chose Chelsea’s project over United’s, forcing the Reds back to the drawing board. After moves for Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, they still lacked a proper number nine. Viktor Gyokeres snubbed them for Arsenal. With options vanishing, they took a massive £66m punt rising to £72m on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, a talent with no experience of English football.
It’s a gamble that’s looked shaky for months. But while Sesko has been finding his feet, Delap’s move to Stamford Bridge has proven disastrous. The 22 year old has mustered just two goals in 21 appearances for the Blues, looking utterly lost at this level.
Sesko, by contrast, now has six in 21. It’s not world beating form, but there’s a feeling his ceiling is far higher. And his moment may have finally arrived. Coming off the bench against Fulham on Sunday, he shook off the frustration of hitting the post to coolly slot a 93rd minute winner, a huge moment of composure that could transform his United career.
The numbers are brutal for Delap and a relief for United. Paying over double the initial fee for Sesko seemed like panic at the time. Now, it looks like shrewd business. They didn’t just buy a striker; they dodged a £30m bullet that’s currently misfiring in West London.
For Ruben Amorim, Sesko’s Fulham winner must feel like a turning point. The kid has the tools the size, the hold up play, the finishing glimpse. If that goal sparks him into life, then that extra £36m will be forgotten. For United’s long term rebuild, spending big to avoid a costly mistake might just be their smartest move of a chaotic window.
