Manchester United legends Peter Schmeichel and Paul Scholes have openly criticized the club’s “weird” transfer decision to replace young striker Rasmus Hojlund with Benjamin Sesko during the summer window. The Red Devils spent heavily to revamp their attack under new manager Ruben Amorim, signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5 million and Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford for £71 million, along with Sesko from RB Leipzig. Hojlund, however, was sent on loan to Napoli, where he has already scored four goals in six matches.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sacked In The Morning podcast, Schmeichel expressed confusion over the club’s strategy, saying that Manchester United already had a capable striker in Hojlund who simply needed better service. “The signing of Sesko was a bit weird to me,” he said. “We had Hojlund, starved of service for two years. You only need to see what he’s doing now at Napoli with Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay to play with.”
The former United goalkeeper added that he has always believed Hojlund could become a 25-goal-a-season striker, provided he plays alongside quality playmakers. Schmeichel noted that bringing in creative players like Cunha and Mbeumo should have helped unlock Hojlund’s full potential rather than replacing him altogether. “We spent £70 million or so on Sesko, but we still don’t have that defensive midfielder we should have,” he lamented.
Paul Scholes had earlier shared similar sentiments, arguing that United’s transfer strategy lacked logic and balance. The former midfielder pointed out that the club continues to spend heavily on attackers while failing to address long-standing weaknesses in midfield. Both legends believe that Amorim’s side might struggle to find stability if such decisions continue.
Manchester United are set to face Liverpool this weekend as the Premier League resumes after the international break. Amorim’s men will look to continue their momentum after defeating Sunderland 2-0 before the break, but all eyes will be on how the new signings perform and whether United’s “weird” summer choices pay off.
