‘Anxious’ Man Utd dud now set to become INEOS’ worst signing

Manchester United are known for making many significant additions over the years, but many of which have fallen well below the levels expected of them by the fanbase.

Antony has arguably been their biggest disaster over the last five years, with the Brazilian unable to cope with the pressures brought on by his £86million transfer fee.

The 25-year-old managed to rack up a total of 96 appearances for the Red Devils over a period of two and a half years, scoring on just 12 occasions, with just five of those coming in the Premier League.

Due to his lack of impact at Old Trafford, he was then shipped to Real Betis for just £21m last summer, resulting in the hierarchy losing £65m on his signing.

However, it appears INEOS has failed to learn from previous market mistakes, as evidenced by its big move to sign a player during the summer window.

How Benjamin Sesko compares to other PL attackers in 2025/26

After a dismal 2024/25, Ruben Amorim’s men were handed a significant chance of redemption this campaign after the hierarchy handed the manager £200 million in funds to use in the market.

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha are just two of the additions made by the hierarchy in an attempt to strengthen the options available in the final third of the pitch.

Both have made an immediate impact on life at Old Trafford, already scoring six goals in total – moving up to seventh place heading into the third international break of the season.

The former of the duo even won the division’s Player of the Month award, demonstrating just how impressive he has been since his own switch to join the Red Devils.

However, Benjamin Sesko has struggled to match the pair in such an aspect, with the Slovenia international yet to be able to produce the goods following his £74 million move from RB Leipzig.

The 22-year-old has been tasked with the responsibility of spearheading the frontline, but his tally of just two goals in his 11 league appearances shows his inability to impress in England’s top flight.

He’s only completed 64% of the passes he’s attempted so far, which currently ranks him in the bottom 10% of all players in the division.

Sesko’s lack of passing ability often kept Amorim’s side from reaching the next level, often struggling to provide the focal point and target man they craved.

Other figures, such as 0.2 successful dribbles per 90 and 3.6 touches in the opponent’s box per 90, further demonstrate his lack of positive impact in attacking areas – no doubt contributing to his meager goal tally.

Both results rank him in the 25th percentile of other forwards in the division, meaning 75% of players in the same position produced better numbers in the same department.

Forget Sesko: it’s INEOS’ biggest waste of money

United’s inability to sign top-class strikers has been evident over the past two seasons, with Amorim failing to make the most of the options at his disposal in 2024/25.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund were the two centre-forwards present before the 40-year-old’s arrival, but neither managed to conquer the ninth position.

The latter of the duo then left in the recent transfer window to make way for the massive arrival of Sesko – but it appears he could also suffer the same fate.

At just 22 years old, he has plenty of time to turn around his fortunes at the Theater of Dreams, but he will certainly need to find some form amid his recent lack of impact.

However, he is not the only one struggling at the moment, with midfielder Manuel Ugarte another player who could be on borrowed time after his own disappointing spell in England.

The Uruguayan joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2024 from PSG for a fee of £42 million, but such a move now appears to be one of INEOS’ worst signings in recent years.

His transfer generated huge enthusiasm within the fanbase, but he failed to deliver on his promises, as shown by his recent drop down the Amorim pecking order in 2025/26.

Ugarte now finds himself behind Casemiro, 33, in United’s squad, with the former PSG star often an unreliable figure and unable to produce the goods when called upon.

His latest performance off the bench against Spurs highlights his recent decline at Old Trafford, as the team conceded two goals after being brought in to replace the aforementioned Brazilian.

The 24-year-old’s underlying stats from this season highlight his dismal performance in and out of possession, with his passing accuracy at 84% – which ranks him in the 33rd percentile of midfielders in the league.

Ugarte also created just 0.3 chances per 90 and had an expected assist total of just 0.01 per 90 – the lowest in United’s team.

Based on this evidence, it’s no surprise that a United content creator suggested he looked ‘so anxious’ on the ball and was ‘scared to death of going forward’.

The latter of his two aforementioned stats also ranks him in the 5th percentile of any Premier League midfielder, demonstrating his lack of skills in possession.

However, he was primarily brought to the club for his ability to break up play, but that part of his game has also been satisfactory at best over the past few months.

Ugarte made just 0.7 interceptions per 90 and made just 2.1 tackles per game, further underlining the decline he has suffered since Amorim’s arrival.

There’s no doubt that Sesko has struggled to make an impact as of late, but that’s to be expected from such a young talent who took a leap of faith to continue his career in a brand new country.

As for Ugarte, he has already had over 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 part of the first team.

£50 million for his signing was nothing more than a waste of money, with INEOS desperate to remember such a deal in the upcoming January window.