The Future of Rasmus Højlund and the Arrival of Benjamin Šeško
With Manchester United’s recent acquisition of striker Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig, Rasmus Højlund’s position at the club is in question. The arrival of the new striker, along with other attacking players this summer, has made Højlund an “out-of-favor” player, with Manchester United reportedly wanting him out. AC Milan is currently in talks with the club for a deal for Højlund, with Manchester United preferring a permanent move for a fee of around £40m. Despite this, Højlund has publicly stated his desire to “stay and fight” for his place. This stance was seemingly challenged when he was an unused substitute in a recent friendly, with head coach Ruben Amorim opting to play Mason Mount as a false nine instead.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Højlund vs. Šeško
Both Rasmus Højlund and Benjamin Šeško are young, 22-year-old center-forwards. Šeško, a Slovenian international, has just signed a five-year contract with Manchester United from RB Leipzig for an initial £66.26m (€76.5m), plus add-ons. Højlund, a Danish international, joined Manchester United from Atalanta for £72m in August 2023.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Benjamin Šeško
- Strengths: Šeško has a powerful strike and is known for his agility on the ball, even while being physically dominant. He has an impressive pace and an obvious aerial threat, winning a higher percentage of aerial duels than Højlund. His movements are varied, and he can drop deeper to link up with teammates or make runs behind defenders. He is also aggressive in counter-pressing. Last season, he had a good scoring record with 21 goals and 6 assists for RB Leipzig.
- Weaknesses: Šeško’s passing accuracy is lower than Højlund’s.
Rasmus Højlund
- Strengths: Højlund is known for his work rate and has previously stated he is a player who wants to “bleed for the jersey.” While his goalscoring record last season was not as prolific as Šeško’s, he did create more chances for his teammates. He has a higher passing accuracy than Šeško.
- Weaknesses: Højlund’s goalscoring output in the Premier League last season was limited to just four goals. He also struggled with aerial and ground duels compared to Šeško.
Who is the better striker?
Based on recent statistics, Šeško appears to be the better striker. Last season, he scored 21 goals and provided 6 assists for RB Leipzig, compared to Højlund’s 10 goals and 0 assists. Šeško also had a higher shot accuracy and was more successful in aerial duels.
Will Højlund accept the challenge?
Højlund has stated that he wants to “stay and fight” for his place and that “competition is fine with me, it sharpens me.” However, Manchester United’s actions seem to contradict his desire. The club is reportedly looking to offload him, and he was an unused substitute in a recent friendly match, despite being the only recognized striker in the squad. While he has not yet agreed to a move to AC Milan, it is clear that he is being pushed out of the team and may not have a choice but to accept the challenge elsewhere.
