When Pep Guaridola brought in a young Erling Haaland to Manchester City in 2022, the Spaniard was asked how he would get the Norwegian to adapt to the City game. The answer was simple: “We have to adapt to Haaland’s struggles”. At Manchester United, a young Danish striker was brought in, he was given completely different working conditions, bordering on the impossible.
When Manchester United brought in Rasmus Hojlund and went for the youngster as the first striker from day one in 2023, Alan Shearer shook his head. A striker of just under 20 years with 34 games at the top level should not have the main responsibility in the world’s toughest league for one of the world’s biggest clubs. Andy Cole shared this opinion. Now it is the 22-year-old Benjamin Sesko who has the main responsibility, a good argument for bringing in one of the best strikers in history, still active and on his way to 38 years of celebration.
First to Cole. The United legend stated in March 2024 that he thought Hojlund was almost doomed to fail as a rookie and at the same time United’s first striker: “When I came to Manchester United (January 1995), I had Sparky (Mark Hughes), and Eric (Cantona), who moved on. But Yorkey (Dwight Yorke) came in, Ole (Solskjaer), Teddy (Sheringham), and I sincerely like to think we learned from each other,” Cole said.
Rasmus Hojlund is history, Sesko has acclimatized to the world’s toughest league with 11 goals in 30 Premier League games, but next season the expectation is that his apprenticeship is over. Alan Shearer and Andy Cole know better.
So when Robert Lewandowski has been linked with a potential Manchester United signing in recent months, the two legends probably give the thumbs up.
English United in Focus United thinks the same:
“United would benefit from having another striker in the squad, especially if Joshua Zirkzee leaves the team. Lewandowski is a player that Benjamin Sesko can easily benefit from. Lewandowski still knows where the goal is, having found the back of the net 18 times in 43 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona this season.”
“It goes without saying that adding Lewandowski to United’s attack would bring more experience to the front line. If he gets the right working conditions, he will score goals, and Sesko can learn a lot from training with the Polish legend. Signing Lewandowski could go against Ineos’ promise and attraction to young talent, but United also need experienced players that their youngsters can learn from.”
“Lewandowski has been a model for professionals throughout his career – at Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and now Barcelona. If Lewandowski could get a fair salary as a free agent, he would prove to be more helpful than an obstacle to Sesko’s development.”
Manchester United have everything to gain from Lewandowski signing.
