Rio Ferdinand says he would be ‘worried’ about Benjamin Sesko’s lack of Premier League experience should he join Manchester United and would rather see the club prioritise a move for Ollie Watkins.
United have bolstered Ruben Amorim’s misfiring attack by bringing in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo – from Wolves and Brentford respectively – for a combined transfer fee of over £133million this summer.
But the Red Devils are determined to further strengthen with the addition of an out-and-out centre-forward before the transfer deadline following a disappointing season for both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee last term.
Viktor Gyokeres had been identified as United’s primary target on the back of another barnstorming campaign with Sporting, in which he scored 54 goals in 52 games, but the prolific Swede decided to turn down a switch to Old Trafford in favour of a move to Arsenal.
Forced to go back to the drawing board and explore other avenues, the latest reports claim United have narrowed their search down to just two players, namely Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and RB Leipzig attacker Sesko.
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While Nicolas Jackson has also been tentatively linked in recent weeks, United are understood to have been put off by Chelsea’s asking price and have now ruled out a bid to sign the Senegal international.
Weighing up the pros and cons of United’s potential options up front, Ferdinand said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel: ‘If you get Watkins, you’ve got guaranteed 15-20 goals really and then you’ve got that with Cunha and you’ve got that with Mbeumo.
‘Not completely guaranteed, but you’ve got double figures all the way up front.
‘Bear in mind, we were 16th in terms of goals scored last season and these lot are getting you minimum 40 goals between them.’
While Ferdinand is not writing off Sesko coming in and succeeding at the Theatre of Dreams, he believes the move would be far riskier than a deal for Watkins.
Pointing to Hojlund’s struggles since arriving in English football, Ferdinand said: ‘The only difference is that Rasmus came in and had inexperience around him in terms of [Alejandro] Garnacho one side and Amad [Diallo] the other, for instance, most of the time.
‘If Sesko comes in, he’s got two players that have played Premier League, scored goals in the Premier League and backed up by Bruno [Fernandes] so I think it’s a different dynamic that he comes into.
‘But the uncertainty worries me a little bit. Can he adapt to this league?’
Ferdinand continued: ‘I wanted a striker with experience so he wouldn’t be my first-choice, obviously, even now.
‘But if Manchester United buy him and Newcastle go and get a number nine, does that mean [Alexander] Isak stays at Newcastle and Liverpool don’t get Isak?
‘Liverpool’s transfer window has been nothing short of exceptional so far.’
Ferdinand sypathises with United’s current hierarchy, who he feels have been ‘hampered by the past’ when it comes to getting transfer deals over the line.
‘They’re hampered by the past,’ the legendary ex-United and England defender went on.
‘It’s going to take time and it’s one of the things [Omar] Berrada, Jason Wilcox and the manager will be really frustrated with, the goings on that happened before they got here are really hampering things in the recruitment area because of the high prices they’ve paid, the high wages they’ve paid.
‘They’ve paid over the odds for most of these guys so it’s difficult to move someone if he’s on £200,000-a-week and his current value in the market is £100,000-a-week. Do you think he’s going to go anywhere? I wouldn’t.’