Benjamin Sesko Faces Criticism — But These Eight Summer Signings Have Been Even Bigger Disappointments
Manchester United and its players are constantly under intense scrutiny, as evidenced by the way people view their acquisition of Benjamin Sesko.
Sesko had the most votes for the worst summer signing (in terms of the contract itself, not his current performance) in a recent survey of agents conducted by The Athletic.
Most people agree that United overpaid for Sesko, a practice they have engaged in much too frequently lately. They once again took a chance on promise and needed a proven striker.
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The counterargument, however, would be that Sesko is highly regarded and was being pursued by other clubs as well. He will be United’s consistent starter for the foreseeable future, and the team does need a new striker.
What other Premier League transactions, then, may be viewed as poorer deals than United’s £73.7 million acquisition of Sesko? However, at face value, these are transactions that have raised issues.
Of course, these are still early days, and this is not to indicate that all of these players will be flops—in fact, we’re assessing this based on the actual agreements rather of any form or lack thereof thus far.
Harvey Elliott (Aston Villa)
Which would you prefer: sitting on the bench for Aston Villa or Liverpool? Late in the summer, Elliott left Liverpool in pursuit of more playing time with Villa, who have supposedly taken him on loan with a buyout clause after ten games.
However, starts have been scarce for the offensive midfielder, who hasn’t yet gained Unai Emery’s complete faith.
If Villa wasn’t completely sure Elliott would succeed, why would they sign him and commit to a future permanent contract? Like fellow deadline-day addition Jadon Sancho, he may soon get his bearings, but for now, there are more questions than answers.
Facundo Buonanotte (Chelsea)
Although Buonanotte’s transfer from Brighton to the Blues is only temporary, some of the discussion surrounding it has sparked concerns.
“This is a great opportunity for Facundo to play regular Premier League and Champions League football this season and further his development,” said Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler upon the move’s confirmation.
“Obviously, I’ll get the opportunity to play in the Champions League for the first time, which will be a great challenge,” Buonanotte continued. This season excites me greatly, and I aim to contribute to the club’s success.
Buonanotte wasn’t even on Chelsea’s first Champions League roster list when it was announced.
Although he was later added to the team due to Dario Essugo’s injury, his debut at Stamford Bridge wasn’t the best, and it seems ill-advised to expect him to play frequently.
Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
There was a lot of excitement and anticipation when Liverpool smashed their transfer record to sign Wirtz, the first of two occasions this summer.
Although it wasn’t as much as Bayer Leverkusen desired, they were compelled to pay a hefty (nine-figure) price for the offensive midfielder after their initial bids failed.
How Wirtz would integrate into the squad and what it would mean for Dominik Szoboszlai in the attacking midfield position was the other big question mark.
Wirtz has taken some time to settle into a Liverpool uniform, but they were hoping for more goals and assists from the position. To relieve the burden, Arne Slot will have to figure out how to employ him most effectively.
James Trafford (Manchester City)
Trafford’s return to Manchester City from Burnley was immediately questioned in the wake of subsequent transfer activity. He finished second to Sesko in The Athletic’s vote.
Trafford’s hopes of taking the position himself were dashed when City acquired Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain to be their first-choice custodian.
Trafford may not be getting what he believed he was getting, even if Pep Guardiola has stated that he gives his goalkeepers an equal amount of opportunities.
Given how talented Donnarumma is, that’s more of a concern for him than for City, but the club still paid a hefty price for someone who has already established himself as a backup.
Mateus Fernandes (Westham)
If the criticism of Sesko was that Manchester United overpaid for him, then the same might be said of West Ham’s acquisition of Fernandes.
Fernandes cost West Ham more than £40 million, one of the highest fees in their history, even though he was relegated with Southampton the previous season and hasn’t yet earned a senior cap for Portugal.
Although Fernandes’ potential makes him appealing, it will take time to determine whether West Ham has overcommitted.
Yoane Wissa (Newcastle)
Newcastle was once in the race for Sesko, but they ended up with Wissa and Nick Woltemade in their attempt to acquire two strikers to replace Alexander Isak.
While Wissa will have to wait to make an effect due to injuries, Woltemade has made a respectable first impression.
Even though he had a successful Premier League season with Brentford the previous season, Newcastle has been accused of overpaying (the same is true for Woltemade, as selling clubs are well aware of the amount they would need to reinvest with the Isak money).
Furthermore, Newcastle may not receive much resale value from Wissa given that he is now 29.
Mads Hermansen (Westham)
By the time West Ham’s decision to sign Hermansen was being questioned, with some urging them to find a better replacement custodian already, the transfer window had not even ended.
With one of the lowest save percentages among the league’s regular goalkeepers, Hermansen was demoted with Leicester City the previous season.
However, West Ham paid £20 million to get Hermansen after losing out on John Victor. He is no longer the starting custodian at West Ham.
Liam Delap (Chelsea)
Delap was available for a set (and reasonable) fee after Chelsea won the race for him following his relegation with Ipswich Town.
Chelsea needed a proven number nine if they desired an upgrade up front, as some have suggested with Sesko and United. Delap didn’t approach the situation with a lot of European expertise like Sesko did.
Due to his current injury, Delap won’t be able to establish himself for some time. He will also have to compete with Joao Pedro, another summer acquisition who has started well at Stamford Bridge.
