Manchester United have previously been a club associated with being the home to numerous top-level attackers who have helped aid their success in the Premier League.
However, the last few years have been a struggle for the Red Devils, with Ruben Amorim unable to create a frontline capable of achieving success in various competitions.
His side only registered 44 goals in England’s top-flight throughout 2024/25, with no player able to register double figures for goals, with Amad and Bruno Fernandes both only scoring eight times.
Such a record was the fifth worst in the division, with three of the sides registering fewer goals subsequently being relegated – highlighting the club’s lack of success in such an area.
One of the players who struggled at Old Trafford during the aforementioned campaign was offloaded during the recent window, with such a decision potentially being a mistake given his form as of late.
Rasmus Hojlund’s form away from United
Back in the summer of 2023, United forked out a fee in the region of £72m for striker Rasmus Hojlund from Italian side Atalanta, with real hope he could end their goalscoring worries.
The Dane did manage to meet expectations in his first year in England, scoring 16 times across all competitions, with five of his efforts coming in the Champions League.
However, he struggled to impress in 2024/25, only netting five Premier League goals, even going 21 games without a goal at one stage, which further highlights his lack of impact in the final third.
The Red Devils board decided to ship him back to Serie A, with the forward joining Napoli on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy should they finish in a Champions League spot.
Hojlund has already managed to impress in Naples, already scoring four times in his first six outings for the club – including a double in Europa against Sporting CP.
His form has also transferred to international level, as seen by his latest showing against Belarus, where the 22-year-old netted twice and also laid on an assist for former teammate Patrick Dorgu.
Despite his recent success on the pitch, he’s still valued lower than one current United player who’s managed to find some impressive form over the last couple of weeks.
The United player who’s worth more than Hojlund
In an attempt to bolster the club’s attacking department, the United hierarchy splashed over £200m on new attacking talent during the recent summer transfer window.
Matheus Cunha joined in a £62.5m deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers after he scored 15 goals in England’s top-flight during the 2024/25 campaign.
The Brazilian was also joined in attacking areas by Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, with the Cameroonian international also costing a pretty penny at £71m.
Like Cunha, he also managed to impress last time around, subsequently scoring 20 times and being one of just five players in the division to achieve such a feat.
The aforementioned duo were joined by centre forward Benjamin Sesko, leading to the board forking out £74m for his signature from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.
At just 22, he’s already impressed in his professional career, as seen by his tally of 21 goals in all competitions last season – 13 of which came in Germany’s top-flight.
He has bags of time to develop into an elite-level forward, but he’s already shown glimpses of his quality during the early games of his career at Old Trafford.
Games played
7
Goals scored
2
Shots on target
1.4
Chances created
1.2
Aerials won
3.7
Touches in opposition box
4.2
Duels won
4.9
Fouls won
1.6
Sesko, who’s been labelled “incredible” by one analyst, has scored in each of his last two outings for the Red Devils, currently sitting as the club’s joint top scorer in the Premier League for the 2025/26 campaign.
His underlying stats also demonstrate his impressive nature, winning 3.7 aerial duels per 90 – a tally which makes him the perfect focal point for Amorim’s side – something which they have lacked in recent times.
As a result of his immediate impact in Manchester, Sesko has seen his market value soar in recent months, with the Slovenian international now valued at £103.6m by CIES Football Observatory.
Such a value is higher than that of the departed Hojlund, with the Dane now only valued at £67.9m by the same site after his recent demise at Old Trafford.
The early signs for the new big-money addition are all positive, but it’s crucial he continues to build on his early success at avoiding suffering the same fate as the Dane.
As for the latter, it’s great to see the youngster regaining his feet after a tricky few years in the North West, but his departure could be one the Red Devils live to regret.
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