I know some of us have questioned whether it’s best for Manchester United to sign a striker like Sesko who has potential or to sign a more experienced striker who’ll get us more goals immediately.
Initially, my thoughts were that we needed a more experienced option, especially with players like Højlund and Chido Obi in the squad. However, on reflection maybe it’s a younger option that we need when thinking about the squad we are building as a whole.
I think the signing of Sesko is a huge indication that the club don’t feel that Højlund will work out as a long term option. Barrada said players should get two years to prove themselves, at which point if they haven’t, then the club should look to move them on. Højlund has had two years now, have they seen enough? It seems so.
But when looking at the squad as a whole you need a good mixture of ages and experience to have a sustainably successful team. If all of your team are around the same age then they will likely all start declining and need replacing at the same time. Which is both expensive and disruptive.
A big complaint I’ve had with us over recent years is that we have had good players at either end of the age scale, lots of talented young players lacking experience, and too many older players on the decline. What we lacked was players of real quality at their peak.
Ultimately, those are the guys who do all the heavy lifting throughout a season. They carry the responsibility for performances and results. The youngsters add enthusiasm and unpredictability, and the older guys a calming presence with their experience and are the upholders of standards.
In our forward line this summer we have added two 25/26 year olds in Cunha and Mbeumo, while we also have Bruno at 30 who can add a little experience. We then have Mount who, if he can stay fit, will be a key player for Amorim, he is also 26.
If Højlund leaves as expected (along with Garnacho) then the young players who might be part of the forward line in the longer term are Chido Obi (17), maybe Zirkzee (23) and Amad (22). Although Amad might also play a lot at RWB.
If as expected our first choice front three this season is Cunha (26), Sesko (22), and Mbeumo (turns 26 tomorrow), that is a nice blend of two players entering their peaks who can carry a lot of the attacking burden, and Sesko who’ll hit his peak in 2-3 years time.
You will want some continuity in each part of your team as it evolves. In 5 years time we will likely be phasing Cunha and Mbeumo out of the team. What you don’t want at that time is a striker who is also being phased out or a new striker who has just joined to replace an older out going striker such as Watkins.
Signing someone like Sesko over Watkins means there will be more pressure on the likes of Cunha, Mbeumo, Bruno and Mount right now to score more goals and carry that burden. But it means we have signed our succession plan who can contribute now, but ultimately be the guy to carry that burden in a few years time.
Yes, the plan has been to rebuild the side to be ready to compete and potentially win the title in 2028. But to do that, we need a well balanced side with a mixture of ages and experience in the team now and then.
If we only sign players entering their peak now, then that’s great for now and maybe 2028 when most of our squad will be in their late twenties. But by 2030 it’ll have all fallen apart and we will need another massive 3 year rebuild.
Likewise, if we only sign young players who are a few years away from hitting their peaks, there is no guarantee that they will do. While in the meantime there is no one to carry the team, or for those youngsters to learn from.
While we have seen over the past decade where signing too many older experienced players gets you. It needs to be a balancing act, and while I 100% believe that Watkins would score more for us next season than Sesko. Maybe for the long term health of the club we need to sign a mixture of peak and potential players.