Man Utd transfer genius of Jason Wilcox clear in Sesko’s three touches
Over £70m is a small price to pay for a young striker to come off the bench and take three touches against Arsenal.
And how does Ayden Heaven feel now about the Jason Wilcox big sell?
Three Sesko touches prove Wilcox genius at Man Utd
Mediawatch is old enough to remember the Daily Telegraph stopping just short of their mystery Manchester United ‘source’ describing Jason Wilcox as a very selfless but powerful lover so we are unsurprised to see James Ducker leading the ‘haven’t Manchester United done some excellent transfer business, after all?’ charge.
Wilcox Ducker reports that Wilcox ‘copped a lot of unfair criticism in the wake of Amorim’s sacking’, before noting that ‘last Sunday at the Emirates Stadium, five of the club’s six signings in 2025 played key roles in consigning Premier League leaders Arsenal to their first home defeat of the campaign’.
That’s one hell of a spin on Benjamin Sesko’s three whole touches from the bench, one of which was the ball smashing him in the face from close range.
But This Is Manchester United Football Club We’re Talking About so…
Benjamin Sesko’s introduction for Dorgu, with United leading 2-1 and Carrick sending the signal to push for a third goal, was the kind of positive, attack-minded substitution in keeping with the club’s history and not witnessed enough under Amorim.
Which makes him definitely worth £73.7m.
United had also looked at Gyokeres – who had excelled under Amorim at Sporting Lisbon – but they were unsure how much more there was to come from the 27-year-old. By contrast, they felt Sesko – still only 22 – had a higher ceiling and his best years ahead and they eventually beat Newcastle United to sign him for £73.7m from RB Leipzig. As one source put it: “There are some No 9s that big clubs have signed where you’re wondering how much they have left in the tank.”
Yes, thank f*** they didn’t waste money on that past-it Victor Osimhen (27). Dodged a bullet there. Far, far better to sign a 22-year-old to score four Premier League goals and then sit on the bench.
If there was any doubt that Wilcox’s hands are all over this puff piece…
When Wilcox discovered (Ayden) Heaven had met with Eintracht Frankfurt during the winter transfer window, United’s director of football arranged for the teenager to visit Old Trafford for the Europa League tie against Rangers.
He watched the game from the directors’ box, was greeted by Ferguson and met with Amorim but it was Wilcox’s persuasive pitch about the pathway for the young defender that proved decisive in Heaven rejecting more lucrative offers from Premier League rivals to join United.
Thanks to the Athletic, we have insight into that particular conversation; they reported (at length, obvs) last June: ‘Wilcox persuaded Heaven that if he joined United he would settle quickly into an environment well-suited to him and his ambitions, under a coach committed to playing a back three made up of defenders who are brave in possession, at a club with a long history of developing young talent.’
How’s that working out, fellas?
Cole Palmer to Man Utd next?
It’s basically a done deal – presuming Jason Wilcox can pull off a masterclass – with the Daily Star trumpeting:
Man Utd are one transfer away from sensational Cole Palmer deal as stance clear
That is literally how transfers work. Bolton Wanderers are also only one transfer away from a sensational Cole Palmer deal.
But it turns out that the Star actually believe that the ‘one transfer’ that is key to Cole Palmer joining Manchester United is not actually Cole Palmer joining Manchester United. Which immediately makes us think that Man Utd might actually be two transfers away.
Should Fernandes opt to extend his tenure, it raises questions about Palmer’s role in the team. Although Palmer displays versatility in taking up wider roles – particularly on the right – his main prowess lies in the central position.
Therefore, securing Palmer would primarily rely on whether Fernandes is enticed by an attractive deal in Saudi Arabia.
Nope. It would rely on Manchester United making a bid, Chelsea accepting that bid, and then Palmer agreeing to move.
As a United fan, Mediawatch suspects that Palmer would quite like to play with their best player of the last five years.
The Brutalist
Over on Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher was naming his England World Cup squad. And it’s ‘brutal’.
‘Carragher names his 26-man England World Cup with brutal snubs for TWO Arsenal stars ahead of this summer’s tournament’ says the Mirror.
How could he be so ‘savagely violent’ as to not include two Arsenal substitutes, one of which has not scored a Premier League goal for a year. And the other?
Jamie Carragher has claimed that Eberechi Eze should be LEFT OUT of England’s squad for the World Cup, having made a number of radical calls.
He hasn’t started any of Arsenal’s last seven Premier League games; it would be weird if he wasn’t LEFT OUT.
And in another brutal Arsenal blow…
But Arsenal have bigger issues to keep them up at night, with the Daily Mail reporting:
Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League suffer major drop in latest supercomputer prediction after 3-2 defeat by Michael Carrick’s Man United
Yes, that ‘major drop’ leaves them with a mere 80.96% chance of winning the Premier League. Basically it’s wide open.
