Ex-England manager Sam Allardyce believes that Manchester United should have targeted one Premier League attacking talent who has “everything” in his arsenal.
The 70-year-old former West Ham and Bolton manager dropped his two cents on Manchester United’s summer transfer activity and one signing that was made.
Ineos and United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe backed Ruben Amorim in the summer transfer window with a flurry of new signings, including key attacking talent.
Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were signed from Wolves and Brentford respectively, while Benjamin Sesko was secured from German side RB Leipzig.
Joining Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko at Old Trafford in the summer were United defender Diego Leon and shot-stopper Senne Lammens.
Sam Allardyce is not convinced by Benjamin Sesko and names his alternative pick from within the Premier League
Benjamin Sesko netted for the Red Devils for the first time last Saturday in Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford in the Premier League.
A former Arsenal target in the summer, the 22-year-old Slovenian forward arrived at Old Trafford in August after United dropped a hefty transfer fee to sign him.
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United beat Newcastle in the race to sign Sesko and paid an initial fee of £66.3m for the former RB Leipzig ace, with add-ons taking the deal up to a £73.7m fee.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Sam Allardyce believes that Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta would have been his target over Sesko.
“Do you know who I’d have bought, more than anybody else? Mateta, absolutely,” he said.
“The centre-forward is absolutely brilliant and why they didn’t buy him, I don’t know, especially when the big strikers are coming back [into fashion].”
Sam Allardyce reveals what makes Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta stand out after Man Utd signed Benjamin Sesko
Jean-Philippe Mateta has been linked with United and the 28-year-old Frenchman has impressed at Crystal Palace since his arrival from German side Mainz 05.
The Palace star showed his quality last season for the Eagles after Mateta netted 17 times and registered four assists in 46 matches for Oliver Glasner’s men.
Allardyce has said that Mateta’s standout season under Palace boss Oliver Glasner shows the qualities that he could have offered United as a centre-forward pick.
“You look at the size of the lad that Newcastle signed [Nick Woltemade], you look at the size of the centre-forwards again,” he explained.
“Mateta is winning in a team, and winning the FA Cup, and getting to Europe, and it took him more than a year to do it.
“There aren’t many centre-forwards as good as he is. Why did nobody go, ‘Bang! Manchester United?’ Because he’s got everything.”
Mateta, who was initially loaned out to Palace in 2021 before his move was made permanent in 2022, is currently under contract with the Eagles until 2027.
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