Manchester United’s recent 3-0 loss to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup means that their start to the 2023/24 campaign – which has included eight losses in 15 matches – is their worst since the 1962/63 season.
The result on Wednesday ensures they will not be defending the League Cup they won back in February and with just one win in three Champions League ties along with just five wins in the Premier League, there may not be any silverware adorning the United trophy cabinet this season.
Erik ten Hag is a man coming under severe pressure and unless results perk up immediately, starting with a tie against Fulham on Saturday, then his reign at the club could be short-lived.
The Dutchman has not been helped with a plethora of injuries disrupting his squad as the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have been missing for large spells of the current season and a failure to field a first-choice defence has hindered the club.
The players he has been able to call upon however have not delivered consistent performances which match his ambitions and this has led the Old Trafford side down a slippery slope.
It is evident that his business in the summer transfer market was far from ideal, with Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat struggling to settle in and stamp their authority on the team.
If the Dutchman is still in the United hotseat come January, then he could use the winter window to add some much-needed quality to his squad as his attacking option have left a lot to be desired so far this season.
Indeed, Rasmus Hojlund, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Bruno Fernandes have scored just seven goals between them throughout the whole campaign.
Could this tempt Ten Hag to delve into the transfer market in a few months for another centre-forward? A previously linked striker, Benjamin Sesko, is reportedly going to be available in January for a potential move.
Man Utd transfer news – Benjamin Sesko
The Red Devils had a chance to sign the young striker from Domzale back in 2019 according to The Athletic, yet it was during the summer of 2022 when United really stepped up their interest in the youngster as Ten Hag wanted to bolster his options.
However, the Dutch boss missed out on signing him as Sesko ended up joining RB Leipzig from Red Bull Salzburg for a fee in the region of £55m.
Fast-forward nearly 18 months, however, and it appears as though the 20-year-old ace may be ready to move on from the German side already having failed to really settle at the Bundesliga outfit.
That’s according to 90min, who claim that United and Newcastle will be on high alert having been notified of Sesko’s soon-to-be availability.
Having signed another one of Europe’s most promising strikers in Hojlund during the summer, it looks as though Ten Hag is building a team which could challenge for honours in the future. Will he be here to see the fruits of his labour, however?
As mentioned, the United boss has been let down by the lack of goals from his attacking players this term, with Martial in particular once again failing to show the Dutchman any signs of quality.
Anthony Martial’s season in numbers
The Frenchman has just a few months remaining on his current contract at United, and It is safe to say that he has hardly done anything of note to deserve a new and improved deal.
Across the whole squad in the Premier League, the former AS Monaco striker ranks tenth for shots on target per match (0.3) along with ranking 19th for successful dribbles per game (0.1) while scoring no goals in the competition at all.
6
0
2
0
0.6
0.3
2
0
8
0
The 27-year-old dud has netted just once all season, in an EFL Cup match against Crystal Palace, and he does not appear to have enjoyed playing under Ten Hag, scoring a total of ten goals during the Dutchman’s spell at United so far.
With players such as Martial underperforming, alongside Rashford and Fernandes, it shows how little United have going forward, which is why they could make a splash in January.
Making a move for Sesko may not solve every problem they currently have, but his vast potential and clinical nature would surely ensure he is an upgrade on Martial.
Benjamin Sesko would be better than Anthony Martial
The £58k-per-week striker has scored more than Martial since the start of last season (24 vs ten) and he has been making his mark on the continent over the previous 12 months.
The Slovenian forward is already outshining the current United player for domestic performances this term, indicating exactly why he would be a wonderful signing for Ten Hag.
According to FBref, Sesko has registered more shots on target per 90 (2.1 vs 0.8) than Martial, along with registering more shot-creating actions per 90 (2.51 vs 2) and higher successful take-on percentage (62.5% vs 50%) clearly demonstrating his vast potential as a threat at the top end of the pitch this term.
With 57 goals across just 136 professional matches, Sesko has displayed a ruthlessness nature which could get better the more he develops and learns his trade.
He was lauded as a “machine man” by talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2021 as he was bursting onto the scene with FC Liefering, and he continued that scoring streak with Salzburg before sealing his move to Germany.
Ten Hag will be buoyed by the fact he could be available in the January transfer window and making a move for the young starlet should be a priority, especially considering there are other clubs interested in securing his signature.
Martial has failed to live up to the enormous hype that was generated following his move from Monaco in 2015 and while he has shown flashes of his talent during his eight-year stint at Old Trafford, it simply has not been good enough – as his aforementioned statistics under the current boss prove.
Alongside Hojlund, Sesko could be a future star and the Red Devils will know that if they lure him to Manchester, he could develop into a fantastic option for them at the top end of the pitch, which is not what their current French marksman is.
