Manchester United officially announces the signing of Šeško, who is expected to wear the number 30 jersey! The reasons behind Amorim's £85 million gamble on him are revealed.

Before the friendly match between Manchester United and Fiorentina, the club announced that the 22-year-old Slovenian striker Šeško has officially joined, signing until 2030. Observant fans will notice that the left-back Diego Llorente, who originally wore the number 30 shirt, has switched to number 35. Therefore, Šeško will continue to wear his desired number 30 jersey.

Šeško's total transfer fee amounts to £85 million, placing him sixth in Manchester United's history, just behind Pogba, Antony, Maguire, Sancho, and Lukaku, and slightly ahead of his striking rival Hojlund. Although the latter has become a target for AC Milan and other Serie A teams, he insists on staying with the Red Devils.

Hojlund is unlikely to leave Manchester United before the Premier League kicks off next week, which means Šeško cannot obtain the number 9 jersey. He has worn the number 30 jersey since his time at Red Bull Salzburg. His association with this number stems from Salzburg considering him as Erling Haaland's successor, as "Majin Buu" wore number 30 for that team. Although Manchester United assigned the number 30 to another new signing, Diego Llorente, it has not yet been registered with the Premier League, making it easy to change the number.

When explaining why he chose Manchester United over Newcastle, Šeško said, "The history of Manchester United is clearly very special, but what truly excites me is the future. When we discussed this project, it was clear that everything was in place for the team to continue growing and compete for the biggest trophies again."

Just like his name, Šeško, or Šeško, has sparked various opinions regarding his potential success in the Premier League. However, the interest from Premier League clubs in this 22-year-old Slovenian forward is not unfounded.

Šeško has been linked with English football for many years. This summer, Arsenal considered him, followed by a bidding war between Manchester United and Newcastle, with Chelsea also rumored to be in the mix. His tall stature, strength, speed, and good heading ability contribute to his potential as an excellent finisher. He is compared to Erling Haaland not only because they both played for Red Bull Salzburg.

Šeško's shooting ability has faced criticism at times, but he is a striker. Data shows that in the U23 age group, no one in the top five European leagues scored more goals than him in the past two seasons. Last season, he became more well-rounded, with only 9.7% of his touches coming from the opponent's penalty area, compared to 17% the previous season. This indicates that Šeško is now more involved on the wings and in midfield, participating in attacking play.

In the Bundesliga, Šeško is one of the fastest forwards, reaching a top speed of 35.7 km/h, and he has the highest heading success rate in at least 60 matches. A top transfer expert believes this demonstrates his athletic talent—tall and strong enough to handle the physical demands of the Premier League.

It is well-known that some players are also tall and fast, but they have struggled to transition from slower leagues to the Premier League, with United's number 9 Hojlund being one of them. However, people believe Šeško may develop differently.

One of Šeško's major advantages is his quick ball control; he can hold the ball, fend off defenders, and pass to wingers or attacking midfielders. His attitude on the pitch is also commendable—resilient and hardworking. Therefore, he may gradually adapt within 6 to 12 months.

In terms of goals, since transferring to Leipzig in the summer of 2022, he has scored 39 goals and provided 8 assists in 87 matches. In the Bundesliga, he scored 27 goals in 64 matches, with 6 goals in the Champions League. This makes him the top scorer among players under 23 in the top five European leagues, one goal ahead of Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid and five goals more than Florian Wirtz, who recently joined Liverpool for £100 million.

For the Slovenian national team, Šeško has scored 16 goals in 41 appearances and participated in the 2024 European Championship, with only three players having scored more goals for the national team.

Last season, Šeško was not at his best, and his goal tally dropped, which is linked to Leipzig's decline in the Bundesliga. However, in the past two seasons, only six forwards have scored more goals than Šeško in the Bundesliga. His expected goals ranked 16th, shots ranked 14th, and touches in the penalty area ranked 22nd.

Šeško's long-range shooting is also threatening, with 36.8% of his shots and 23.1% of his goals coming from outside the penalty area, both of which are higher than any Bundesliga forward who scored 12 or more goals last season.

Šeško's agent, Elvis Basanovic, once recommended him to various clubs, saying, "This is the next goal machine!" However, Šeško has yet to reach that level of expectation, and Manchester United fans may have seen highlights of his missed opportunities and wayward headers. When he initially struggled to score at Salzburg, people mocked his agent, asking, "Where is the goal machine you spoke of?"

Nevertheless, this does not affect Šeško's confidence. In 2022, he publicly stated, "My teammates at the club tell me that I am very similar to Haaland, especially in terms of speed. Most of them even say that I am better than him."

If Šeško understands Chinese culture, he would know that sometimes a teammate's words might just be a matter of camaraderie. Haaland scored as many goals as Šeško at Salzburg, but he only played 27 matches, which is a third of Šeško's total.

However, confidence, like effort, is considered one of Šeško's character strengths. He possesses healthy self-confidence, which is crucial for a striker. Former Slovenian international Milan Pavlin said, "There is no doubt that Benjamin (Šeško) has the potential to become one of the top ten forwards in the world."

The potential is there, and his early data is quite impressive, but current statistics show he performs better than his peer Isak, which does not guarantee future success, as everyone's development trajectory is different. Amorim and Manchester United see the positive attributes in him and believe they can develop him into a world-class striker.

Theoretical analysis is pointless; for every player joining Manchester United, fans know very well that only genuine performance matters. Everything else—talent, market value, reputation, and even past performances—means nothing at Old Trafford.