Manchester United have witnessed Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all recruit new strikers this summer but are still yet to land a new centre forward themselves.
£133.5 million has already been splashed on Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo as Ruben Amorim seeks to remedy his side’s attacking issues, but it’s difficult to argue against United’s need for a new striker during the current transfer window following the struggles of Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee last season.
With the acquisition of Alexander Isak more of a pipe dream than reality, it appears that Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško are the priority targets for the Red Devils. Both would undoubtedly improve United’s attacking options, but they would add different traits to Amorim’s squad.
So, which striker should United target this summer: Watkins or Šeško?
Age and Experience
United must decide whether they want an immediate fix or a high-potential solution to their centre forward woes. Watkins would provide the former for the fallen giants, with the 29-year-old having immense experience in the Premier League with Aston Villa—and now the Champions League. The Red Devils would certainly benefit from signing a striker capable of making an immediate impact and requiring less time to familiarise themselves with new surroundings.
Watkins’s experience is both a positive and negative for United, though. While he offers a ready-made answer to their problems, his age could dissuade decision-makers at Old Trafford. The England international will be 30 by the time the new calendar year comes around and the Red Devils will not necessarily want to splash the cash on a player whose prime is set to pass in the coming seasons.
Šeško offers the opposite dilemma. At just 22 years old—he won’t turn 23 until just after the end of the 2025–26 campaign—he could hypothetically be United’s centre forward for the next decade. He boasts enormous potential and is already performing at a high level, with a lofty ceiling making him a risky but potentially transformative signing.
However, much like aforementioned strugglers Højlund and Zirkzee, the Slovenia international will need to time to adjust to the Premier League. He’s spent his entire senior career in Austria and Germany. He could hit the ground running at Old Trafford, but immediate success isn’t guaranteed. Would United simply be adding another exciting but unpolished striker to their ranks?
Goalscoring Returns
Šeško may lack experience but he’s proven his goalscoring credentials. Twenty-nine goals across two seasons with RB Salzburg ensured the youngster followed the well-trodden path to sister club Leipzig in 2023, where he’s gone on to score 39 times across full two seasons in all competitions. Six of those strikes have come in the Champions League, while the 6-foot-5 sharpshooter has also managed 16 in 41 matches for Slovenia.
Šeško scored home and away against Bayern Munich last term, as well as netting against Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Atlético Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt. He’s no flat-track bully and outperformed his expected goals tally in the Bundesliga for an underperforming Leipzig team who finished seventh and missed out on Europe. His height, athleticism and powerful right boot make him a difficult man to stop at full tilt.
Watkins has been similarly prolific over the past four years with Villa and has the advantage of having delivered consistent returns in the Premier League. He’s netted 61 in the competition since the beginning of the 2021–22 season and has also proven a handy creator with 29 assists over the same period. By comparison, Šeško has managed just 13 assists in all competitions over the past four years.
To a large extent, United know exactly what they can expect from Watkins. The Villa forward’s speed makes him an excellent runner and he’s mastered the art of timing his sprints in behind the opposition backline. He’s a classic poacher around the penalty area and should help create space for his fellow attackers.
Price
Price could prove a stumbling block in both deals. Watkins is expected to cost around £50-60 million despite his age and Villa are unlikely to negotiate a lower fee considering they are desperate to keep hold of their star striker. Given the money already spent on Cunha and Mbeumo, the Red Devils must be careful with their finances during the remainder of the window, especially given they’re struggling to recoup funds through player sales.
Watkins would prove an expensive addition as a relatively short-term solution. Šeško is likely to cost similar as Leipzig’s asking price sits at around £69 million, the same as Hugo Ekitiké’s initial transfer to Liverpool.
Šeško offers the potential to not only increase his current value but prove a bargain over the coming years.
Final Verdict
There can be no doubting that, whether Watkins or Šeško, United will be adding talent to a squad in desperate need of stabilisation. Both are likely to score goals aplenty at Old Trafford, especially when integrated into an improved attack alongside Cunha and Mbeumo.
However, Šeško appears the more appealing No.9. Having been seriously considered by Arsenal before their Viktor Gyökeres signing, the Leipzig star is unsurprisingly intriguing Europe’s elite given his potential and physical attributes, with United having reportedly accelerated a deal for the Slovenian to fend off interest from Newcastle United.
While Šeško is not guaranteed to be a hit at United—no player is these days—he could be the clinical No.9 they have been crying out for during recent campaigns.
READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ollie Watkins or Benjamin Sesko: Which Striker Should Man Utd Sign?.