Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand sends clear message to Benjamin Sesko doubters | Football
Rio Ferdinand has brushed off concerns surrounding Benjamin Sesko’s inexperience and is confident the striker can ‘step up’ to be the focal point of Manchester United’s attack.
The Red Devils are on the cusp of finalising a total agreement to sign Sesko from RB Leipzig in a deal which could rise to around £73.8million.
Newcastle made two separate offers to prise Sesko away from Leipzig in recent days, but the 22-year-old was quick to inform his camp that Old Trafford was his preference.
Sesko was absent from Leipzig pre-season training on Tuesday, having missed the club’s penultimate pre-season friendly with Atalanta, and official confirmation over the attacker’s move to the north west is expected over the coming days.
The Slovenia international is set to become United’s fourth signing of the transfer window and will follow Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon through the doors at the Theatre of Dreams.
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Ruben Amorim will no doubt be hoping to have Sesko at his disposal in time for United’s first match of the Premier League season in just over a week’s time.
Before United stepped up their pursuit of Sesko, Ferdinand admitted he was ‘worried’ about the forward’s lack of experience and would rather the club pursued a bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
But in the latest video on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, the legendary ex-United and England defender said he was hopeful about what Sesko could bring to Amorim’s misfiring attack.
‘Wow. Huge money, £70m being spent,’ Ferdinand said.
‘Listen, he’s a young guy, been at Leipzig, playing, scoring goals. Last season, he played 45 games and scored 21 goals, six assists, so the guy knows where the back of the net is. That’s almost one goal every two games.
‘Yes, it’s a different league, it’s the Bundesliga, but he does play international football as well, he scores in international football and he knows where the net is.
‘A lot of people are going to go and suggest, “Oh, has he got the experience?”, and I was one of those guys in that camp going, “Do you know what? Where is the player that can actually show the young, inexperienced strikers that we have at the club how to do things? In times of need, who do they look to?”
‘He’s going to have to step up and be that guy. Can he do it? Yes, he can do it, he’s got huge potential.
‘But one of things, as we’ve seen in recent years, our strikers, when they come in the door here, you’re not afforded a lot of time, there ain’t a great amount of patience and you’ve got to hit the ground running.’
Ferdinand has been impressed by United’s recruitment in the transfer market and believes opposition defences should expect more of a ‘physical test’ from Amorim’s new-look attack next season.
He added: ‘What I would say is Manchester United scored 44 goals last season. They’ve now invested in three strikers at the top of the pitch that have between them 48 goals last season, so that’s four more than the whole Manchester United squad got last year so that’s a huge improvement in that sense.
‘Two of those guys have played in the Premier League and scored goals here. Sesko, now, has to go and transform his form, his goals, his menacing play, at times, into the Premier League and that’s the big question.
‘What I would say is not only are the goals a step up, but I would say the mobility in the front areas now is something, as a defender, I’m looking at now and I’m thinking differently about Manchester United’s frontline.
‘I’m going to have a physical presence up there and I’m going to have a physical test from all three positions and I’ve got people that can run and move up there, they’re mobile. They’re the things I was asking for over the last couple of years up there so more of that.
‘You have to say the recruitment team have absolutely delivered in that department in terms of the mobility, the pace, the power.’
Ferdinand thinks the fanbase should be ‘pleased’ with their summer transfer business and it is now up to Amorim’s players to ‘go and deliver’ on the pitch.
‘So who is next? Who is next to be coming through the door?’ he went on.
‘Three front men have come through the door. I think the fanbase have to be pleased with that and the recruitment team have to take great credit in that sense.
‘But now these guys have got to go and deliver. Ruben Amorim has to set this team up for this team to go and deliver now. Are there going to be more incomings?’
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Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand sends clear message to Benjamin Sesko doubters | Football
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