Manchester United are known for making a number of big-money signings over the years, many of which have fallen far short of the expectations of their fan base.
Anthony has arguably been their biggest disaster over the past five years, with the Brazilian unable to cope with the pressure brought on by an £86m transfer fee.
The 25-year-old made a total of 96 appearances for the Red Devils during his two-and-a-half year spell, but only scored in 12 of them, with only five of those coming in the Premier League.
Due to his lack of impact at Old Trafford, he was released to Real Betis last summer for just £21m, resulting in the class losing £65m on his contract.
However, INEOS do not seem to have learned from their past mistakes in the market, as evidenced by their big-money transfer to sign one player during the summer.
Comparison of Benjamin Sesco with other PL strikers in 2025/26
Ruben Amorim’s men have been given a huge chance to turn this campaign around after a disastrous 2024/25 season, after executives handed the manager £200m worth of funds to put to use on the market.
Brian Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha are just two of the additions the hierarchy have made to strengthen the options available in the final third of the pitch.
Both have made an immediate impact on life at Old Trafford, having already scored six goals in total and are seventh in the table going into the season’s third international break.
The former of the pair also won the category’s Player of the Month award, further proving just how good he has been since his big-money move to the Red Devils.
However, Benjamin Sesko has struggled to match the pair in that aspect, with the Slovenian international yet to make his mark following his £74m move from RB Leipzig.
The 22-year-old has been responsible for leading the charge up front, but just two goals in 11 league appearances suggests he will not be able to make an impression in England’s top flight.
He has only completed 64% of his passes thus far, ranking him in the bottom 10% of all players in his division at this time.
Sesco’s lack of passing ability often limited Amorim’s teams from reaching the next level, often struggling to provide the focus and target man they so desperately needed.
Other numbers, such as 0.2 successful dribbles per 90 and 3.6 touches per 90 inside the opposition box, further indicate a lack of positive influence in attacking areas, which no doubt contributes to his meager goal numbers.
In both aggregates, he ranks in the 25th percentile of other attackers in his division, meaning that 75% of players at his position perform better in their division.
Forget about Sesko: this is the biggest waste of INEOS
United’s inability to sign top-level attackers has been clear over the last few seasons, with Amorim failing to make the most of the options at his disposal in 2024/25.
Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojland were mentioned as two centre-forwards before the 40-year-old’s arrival, but neither were able to establish the number nine position as their own.
The latter then left during the recent transfer window to make way for the big-money signing of Sesco, and it looks like he could suffer the same fate.
At just 22 years old, he has plenty of time to turn his fortunes around at the Theater of Dreams, but he will no doubt need to find some form amidst his recent lack of impact.
But he is not the only player currently struggling, with midfielder Manuel Ugarte also potentially available on loan after a disappointing spell in England.
The Uruguayan joined the Red Devils from PSG in the summer of 2024 for an estimated £42m, but it appears that such a move has been one of INEOS’ worst signings in recent years.
His move caused a lot of excitement among the fan base, but he failed to deliver, as evidenced by Amorim’s recent drop down the pecking order for the 2025/26 season.
Ugarte currently follows 33-year-old Casemiro in the United squad, but the former PSG star is often unreliable and often unable to perform when called upon.
His recent performance, coming off the bench against Spurs, highlights his recent slump at Old Trafford as the team conceded two goals after coming on in place of the aforementioned Brazilian.
The 24-year-old’s basic stats this season further illustrate his dismal performance in and out of possession, with an 84% passing accuracy that ranks him in the 33rd percentile of midfielders in the league.
Ugarte also created just 0.3 chances per 90 and expected assists of just 0.01 per 90, the lowest of any United team.
No wonder one United content creator suggested that he looked “very anxious” on the ball and “was scared to death of passing to the forwards”.
Manuel Ugarte – PL Stats (25/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (every 90) | tally |
games played | 9 |
Play time (minutes) | 301 |
An opportunity has arisen | 0.3 |
Expected number of assists | 0.01 |
Number of intercepts | 0.7 |
The tackle I made | 2.1 |
Pass accuracy | 84% |
dribbled past | 1.4 |
Statistics by FotMob | |
The latter of his two aforementioned statistics also ranks him fifth among Premier League midfielders, indicating his lack of skill in possession.
But he was brought to the club primarily for his ability to break up play, and that part of his game has been satisfactory at best in recent months.
Ugarte has only made 0.7 interceptions per 90 attempts and 2.1 tackles per game, further highlighting the decline he has endured since Amorim’s arrival.
There is little dispute that Sesco has struggled to make an impact of late, but that is to be expected from such a young talent who has taken a leap of faith to further his career in a completely new country.
As for Ugarte, he has already had more than a year to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, but in the end it is clear that he is no longer a player who should be a key member of the first team.
Paying £50 million for his contract was nothing short of a waste of money and INEOS desperately need to keep such a deal in mind during the coming January period.
