Man Utd slammed for repeating transfer mistake with £74m star after FA Cup exit

Man Utd slammed for repeating transfer mistake with £74m star after FA Cup exit Callum McAvoy Published January 11, 2026 7:58pm Updated January 11, 2026 7:58pm Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook Comment now Comments Man Utd are enduring another miserable season under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s reign (Photo: Getty)

Owen Hargreaves defended Benjamin Sesko after Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup, saying there is too much pressure on the club’s sole striker.

United will almost certainly end the season trophy-less after losing 2-1 to Brighton in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Brajan Gruda and former Red Devil Danny Welbeck put the Seagulls in control before Sesko pulled one back late on from a header.

It was the 22-year-old’s third goal in two games but it was too little too late, with teenager Shea Lacey sent off in the dying minutes of his Old Trafford debut.

The sacking of Ruben Amorim has not resulted in an upturn of form but Sesko seems to have improved after scoring just twice in his first 17 appearances following his £74million transfer from RB Leipzig.

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Hargeaves believes the best is yet to come for the Slovenia international but slammed United for leaving him as the only recognisable striker at Old Trafford.

‘It was a good header from him,’ the former United and England midfielder said on TNT Sports.

Benjamin Sesko has scored three goals in the two games since Ruben Amorim was sacked (Photo: Getty)

‘He’s a threat, he’s shown that and I think there’s so much room to improve. Physically, he’s got some amazing traits. I think he’ll get better and better.

‘But the onus shouldn’t just be on Benjamin Sesko to score goals.

‘Back in the day, United had four or five strikers. You think about Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Then they had young lads coming through: Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Carlos] Tevez.

Owen Hargreaves says ‘the onus shouldn’t just be on Sesko to score goals’ (Photo: Getty) Man Utd allowed Rasmus Hojlund to leave last summer – leaving Sesko as their only striker (Photo: Getty)

‘It shouldn’t just be Benjamin Sesko, a young man still learning his trade. We saw that with Rasmus Hojlund and how that ended, he’s on loan.

‘So you’ve got another young lad that’s trying to bear the burden of scoring all the goals and I think that’s a lot for one, young player.’

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Sesko is the only first-team No.9 at United currently, as while Joshua Zirkzee and Matheus Cunha can play at centre-forward, they are more natural No.10s.

He was signed to replace the aforementioned Hojlund who was in a similar predicament for the last two seasons: the club’s only natural striker who was still adjusting to the Premier League.

Following Sesko’s arrival, Hojlund, who cost £71m from Atalanta, was shipped out on loan to Napoli for the season, once again leaving the club with limited options up front.

There have been many calls for United to sign a more experienced striker to help Sesko but the club’s transfer plans are up in the air after Amorim’s departure.

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