Man Utd’s quiet ‘monster’ can lead them to 2028 Premier League title; it’s not Fernandes or Carrick

Benjamin Sesko’s current form for Manchester United should provide some hope to the club’s chances of meeting their 2028 target for the Premier League title.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYThe Slovenian international was on target once again in his third consecutive top-flight game, registering the winning goal in a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.Three points secured, plumping up Michael Carrick’s points return to 19 out of a possible 21 in seven league games, leaves the Red Devils third in the table.Could Benjamin Sesko fire Manchester United to Premier League glory?(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)It seems fanciful, at first, to suggest that Benjamin Sesko could play a leading role in Manchester United lifting a first Premier League title since 2012.Surely that honour should belong to a player of Bruno Fernandes’ quality and dedication? It may still, of course; even by the end of the 2027/28 campaign, the Portuguese playmaker will be 33 years of age and surely, still, an important figure.But United have longed for a leading man up front worthy of lifting England’s biggest honour for quite some time now.And if Sesko’s recent form offers any indication, their prayers may very well have been finally answered. Benjamin Sesko’s stats for Manchester United in 2025/26 25 games 9 goals 1 assist 139 minutes per goal/assist * Benjamin Sesko’s stats this season (all competitions) for Manchester United (Transfermarkt)Where does Manchester United’s 2028 target come from?Manchester United executive Omar Berrada boldly declared (back in 2024) he was targeting a 2028 Premier League title lift for the club to mark its 150th anniversary.One can only imagine how rivals will have scoffed at that aim with the club seemingly going backwards under Ruben Amorim this term.But United’s recent rejuvenation under Michael Carrick, with Sesko playing a starring role, will surely provide at least some vague encouragement that a 2028 title lift isn’t a hope completely beyond the realm of reality.Sesko’s current form compares well to Premier League hitmen(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)With only four league goals secured in his first 17 Premier League games (pre-Carrick), there were some fears that Manchester United’s £73.7m summer signing might go the way of Rasmus Hojlund. Benjamin Sesko stats Rasmus Hojlund stats 23 games 32 games 8 goals 4 goals 1 assist 1 assist 134.44 minutes per goal/assist 402.8 minutes per goal/assist * Benjamin Sesko’s 2025/26 stats compared with Rasmus Hojlund’s 2024/25 stats (Premier League) (Transfermarkt)Benjamin Sesko, of course, looks considerably more confident of late than his on-loan Napoli counterpart appeared in his last season in English football.Focusing on the 22-year-old’s form post-Michael Carrick’s arrival, there’s a growing body of evidence (albeit from a slim pool of data) to suggest that United do indeed have a ‘world-class’ striker in the making.The striker’s tally of four goals in six games (he remained on the bench vs Manchester City) puts him at a rate of a goal every 42 minutes (based on a total of 168 minutes). It’s a hot streak, and almost certainly not a sustainable one.But even if we were to take his two goal contribution rates pre and post-Carrick’s arrival and grab a midpoint average, Benjamin Sesko would still be hovering just above a goal or assist every 88 minutes (88.22).For the record, that would put him cleanly above the current league leaders. Premier League strikers Minutes per goal Benjamin Sesko* 88.22 Erling Haaland 102 Junior Kroupi 131 Igor Thiago 132 *average taken from pre and post-Michael Carrick arrival * Premier League striker stats in the 2025/26 season (BBC Sport)If we’re being objective, we’d still expect the forward to fall short of his more experienced competitors over the course of a league season.But the signs are there to support Micah Richards’ early assertion that United had signed a ‘monster’ to help them now, rather than for the future.