Paul Merson is already questioning whether Benjamin Sesko will be a success at Manchester United following his £74m summer move to Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim was desperate to sign a new striker during the last transfer window to replace the struggling Rasmus Hojlund, who has since left to join Napoli.
Amorim’s first-choice target appeared to be his former Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres but United turned to Sesko after the Sweden international joined Arsenal.
Sesko, 22, is one of the most highly-rated young players in Europe, having scored 39 goals across his last two seasons at RB Leipzig.
The former Bundesliga star is yet to show that level of form at Old Trafford, however, scoring just one goal in his first seven appearances for the Red Devils.
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Sesko has in fact only started half of United’s Premier League games as he gets up to speed with his new teammates and improves his fitness.
Merson is already concerned Sesko will be yet another Manchester United transfer flop and believes his service will be an issue in Amorim’s 4-3-3 system.
The Arsenal legend also claims Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta would have been a better signing as he is ‘much better’ than Sesko.
Mateta, who completed a £9m permanent move to Selhurst Park in 2022, has scored 32 Premier League goals since the start of the 2023-24 season.
‘Manchester United went out and signed the lad Sesko,’ Merson said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. ‘He’s never going to score a goal because no one is crossing it to him.
‘He’s got two players behind him [Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo] that play off the cuff. He’s never going to get balls in from wide so I feel sorry for him.
‘I said last season on transfer deadline day that Man United needed someone like Jean-Philippe Mateta. Big, strong, leads the line, he’s a threat and causes problems.
‘But they’re not going to buy him because he plays for Crystal Palace, he’s not fashionable enough.
‘But he’s a much better player than Sesko, much better. And he’s doing it in the Premier League week in week out. As a player you would love Mateta in your team.’
Sesko opened his account in the Premier League over the weekend but that was not enough to prevent Manchester United from falling to a 3-1 defeat to Brentford.
Amorim was hoping to win successive league games for the first time since replacing Erik ten Hag as manager but United returned to Old Trafford empty-handed.
Club legend Wayne Rooney admitted he had no faith in Amorim following the defeat, which leaves Manchester United 14th in the Premier League after six games.
‘I am not seeing anything which is giving me any confidence, there needs to be big changes in my opinion,’ Rooney said on his BBC podcast.
‘Manager, players, whatever that is. Whatever it takes to get Manchester United back. There needs to be a clear message from the owners.
‘Whether that is the Glazers, [minority owner] Sir Jim Ratcliffe, there has to be a message of where this club is going. At the minute we are all sitting there waiting for it to crumble.
‘The culture of that football club has gone. I see it on a daily basis. I see staff losing jobs, people walking out of jobs.
‘I’ve got two kids [in the academy] at that football club and I really hope this doesn’t affect what they’re doing. What I’m seeing at that football club is not Manchester United.’
Amorim’s side return to Premier League action on Saturday with a must-win match against newly-promoted Sunderland.
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