“Should have signed him”: Rio Ferdinand laments United’s decision to snub 27-yo last summer

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes that the club should have secured the services of Victor Osimhen in the summer of 2025. The Red Devils were looking for an upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund last summer and the Nigerian was among the strikers linked with Old Trafford for the job. However, the English giants ended up paying around £74 million for Benjamin Sesko, who joined from RB Leipzig before the start of the season. Unfortunately, the Slovenian has struggled to live up to expectations at the Theatre of Dreams. Sesko’s struggles at Old Trafford Sesko joined United on the back of an impressive campaign with Leipzig, finishing with 21 goals and six assists in 45 appearances. However, he has been a shadow of his former self this season, managing just two goals and one assist from 17 games across competitions. Benjamin Sesko Premier League stats: 2025/26 Season StatisticValue Appearances (Sub)16 (6) Minutes Played950 Goals2 Assists1 Expected Goals (xG)3.81 Expected Assists (xA)0.2 Shots on Target (Inside Box)11 Touches in Opposition Box45 Hit Woodwork2 Passes (Completed %)188 (69%) Dribbles (Completed %)18 (22%) Duels Won48 Aerial Duels Won36 Total Tackles5 Interceptions3 Blocks2 Yellow Cards1 Red Cards0 Fouls11 Offsides5 Source: Premier League website. On Sunday, January 4, Sesko drew a blank once again as the Red Devils had to rely on Matheus Cunha to secure a point away at Elland Road. The situation has raised questions about the English giants’ decision to invest a small fortune in the 22 year old. Ferdinand, meanwhile, believes that his former club should have moved for a proven striker last summer. Ferdinand wanted Osimhen at United Speaking on his YouTube channel, as cited by Metro, Ferdinand insisted that United missed a trick last summer. He said: “I still say we should have signed Victor Osimhen, I don’t want to keep going there but we should have signed him because there’s no questions asked there. It’s just pure experience with him.” “We don’t play the ball into Sesko enough, that’s a big thing. He’s a work in progress and I think he needs to get the ball more.” “He was a bit loose with it today but I still think we’re not crossing the ball enough. He should be asking for the ball more and demanding it. There’s something there with Sesko but he needs more time because he’s young and it’s not easy being a number nine for Man United.” Osimhen joined Galatasaray permanently last summer and has registered 12 goals in 16 appearances for the Turkish club this season. Final Thoughts United have invested a fortune in order to address their No. 9 conundrum in the past few years, but their efforts are yet to bear fruit. There are no doubts about Sesko’s talent, but his struggles paint a poor picture of the player. However, the Red Devils are still a work in progress, so it would be wrong to rule the Slovenian out just yet. With the Premier League giants parting ways with Ruben Amorim on Monday, fans will hope that Sesko can regain his mojo under interim manager Darren Fletcher. Club statement: Ruben Amorim. — Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 5, 2026 Featured image Ahmad Mora via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.