Transfer Roundtable: Which striker should Manchester United sign this summer - Nicolas Jackson, Benjamin Sesko or Ollie Watkins?
Published 31/07/2025 at 09:39 GMT+1
After adding Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to the ranks at Old Trafford, Manchester United are reportedly in the market for a striker this summer. The club were unsuccessful in their pursuits of Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres but there are more options available to Ruben Amorim in the transfer market. TNT Sports take a look at which player would be best suited to join Old Trafford this season.
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Manchester United have been making moves in the summer transfer window and it doesn't look like they are finished just yet.
The club have completed the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo but Ruben Amorim is reportedly still looking to bring in a striker to Old Trafford ahead of the upcoming season.
The Red Devils have been linked with a move for Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in recent weeks.
But which player should United sign? That is where we come in.
We've put a case forward for each player and it will be up to you, the fans, to let us know your opinion with a vote at the bottom of the article.
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The case for Man Utd signing Jackson
It is easy to understand some reticence when it comes to Jackson: some of the misses are bad and some of the goal droughts are too long, there are no two ways about it.
But with Jackson, you are betting on the potential and what he could be. Jackson has scored 30 goals for Chelsea in all competitions over his two seasons in London.
That may not sound spectacular given the reported fee, but you have to consider that Jackson has effectively only played three full seasons of top-division elite football as a striker.
Not only did Jackson come to organised football late, but he also spent a lot of his early career splitting time between the left wing and as a striker. He went from Villarreal, a team from a very small town, to one of the biggest cities and clubs in the world, having to play as their only striker in the middle of a massive rebuild. That is a huge adjustment.
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'A nerve-settling goal' - Jackson beats Pickford with strike from distance
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He did that admirably well, considering the circumstances, especially when you consider he has also gone through three managers in three years. Each season, he has had to adjust to a new tactical style on top of learning a new position.
He also brings other aspects as a forward, notably that he’s an excellent creator for his team-mates. He has registered five assists in both of his two seasons in the Premier League and has shown himself to be excellent in transition.
If you consider Bruno Fernandes, Cunha and Mbeumo as the potential No. 10s playing behind him, will it really matter when he goes through droughts if those players are scoring as regularly as they have done in previous seasons?
Part of the reason Jackson’s struggles were more in focus this season was because Chelsea’s other attacking players struggled to score as well. United, theoretically, shouldn’t have that problem.
| League stats from 23-24 | Rasmus Hojlund | Joshua Zirkzee | Nicolas Jackson |
| Games Played | 62 | 32 | 65 |
| Goals | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Conversion Rate | 20% | 10.7% | 15.4% |
| Assists | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Chances Created | 44 | 12 | 67 |
| Big Chances Created | 4 | 4 | 14 |
It is also worth noting the way Amorim improved someone like Gyokeres as a goalscorer. Yes, Gyokeres scored goals for Coventry before joining Sporting CP, but it was under a goal every other game.
Under Amorim, Gyokeres moved to nearly a goal a game. There are some caveats here, but the improvement is clear. Why couldn’t that happen with Jackson?
Summary:
- Jackson’s build-up and transition play is underrated and could be something Amorim loves, particularly with goalscorers around him.
- He is still very young and is growing not only as a striker but also as a professional footballer.
Pete Sharland - TNT Sports UK
The case for Man Utd signing Sesko
Whoever Manchester United sign at the end of the transfer window, the player will likely not be better than Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, so why not just get the closest thing to the Norwegian superstar?
Sesko is every bit as physically imposing, standing at 6ft 5in tall, has incredible speed in the open field, an absolutely devastating right-footed shot and what seems to be springs in his legs.
Sure the Slovenia international has not developed as much in his second year with RB Leipzig as one would have hoped, but it is no small feat to maintain his numbers in front of goal, when you consider that the team suffered its worst season in terms of attacking in the Bundesliga since being promoted to the German top flight in 2016.
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'One of the hottest properties in Europe' - Leipzig's Sesko thumps in 'red-hot' opener
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Sesko might not be the biggest star in his current squad, but while the output of the more touted Xavi Simons and Lois Openda dropped off considerably in the 2024/25 campaign, Sesko slightly improved his scoring compared to 2023/24 with 21 goals and six assists in 45 matches.
Against the background of an absolutely horrible season by Leipzig, one can only imagine what his numbers would have been if his team-mates had actually performed.
Overall, Sesko is a safe bet with a high floor as well as the potential to become an absolute superstar - especially in the Premier League, where he will be allowed to use his physical attributes a little bit more.
Considering what Gyokeres became under Amorim, Sesko is quite similar to the Swedish striker and with a possibly reduced price tag due to a weak campaign by Leipzig last season, he should be THE main target for the Red Devils this summer.
Summary:
- He is the closest player to Erling Haaland in terms of physical attributes.
- Sesko was the only Leipzig player to produce a consistent output last season.
- He could thrive in Amorim's system in the same way that Gyokeres did at Sporting.
Leopold Grunwald - Eurosport Germany
The case for Man Utd signing Watkins
Manchester United’s transfer strategy this summer has focused on bringing in proven players in the Premier League, with the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo through the door – and signing Watkins would continue that trend.
The club can't afford to take any more gambles when it comes to signing strikers and the Aston Villa man would represent a smart business move.
The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the most consistent strikers in the Premier League during his time at Villa Park. In his last three seasons, Watkins has scored at least 15 league goals, with his best tally coming in the 2023/24 campaign, when he netted 19 goals.
United have gambled on potential in the past, to mixed outcomes.
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Watkins finishes off superb team move as Villa retake lead over Celtic
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Watkins found himself in the spotlight last season after he was dropped by Villa boss Unai Emery for some of the club’s biggest UEFA Champions League matches, with Jhon Duran and Marcus Rashford picked ahead of him.
But Watkins showed he still had the fire in his belly to bounce back by publicly stating he was "fuming" after not starting Villa's second-leg tie against Paris Saint-Germain and responded with a goal and assist in the next match.
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Watkins has also shown that he can be the man to deliver the goods on the biggest stage against the best teams. He has scored six times in 10 league matches against Liverpool and Arsenal, while he has also struck five times against Newcastle and three times against Tottenham during his time in the Premier League.
He also proved decisive on the international stage with a stoppage-time winning goal to send England into the Euros final last summer, and who knows whether the Three Lions would’ve won the tournament if Watkins was given more time to make an impact in the final.
Although my colleagues have made fine cases for Sesko and Jackson above, the stats below show just how much more of an attacking threat Watkins would provide for United.
| League stats from 23-24 | Ollie Watkins | Benjamin Sesko | Nicolas Jackson |
| Games Played | 75 | 64 | 65 |
| Goals | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Conversion Rate | 18.32% | 23.48% | 15.4% |
| Assists | 21 | 7 | 10 |
| Expected Goals | 32.25 | 17.55 | 31 |
| Touches in Opp Box | 413 | 197 | 321 |
| Big Chances Created | 18 | 6 | 14 |
Amorim’s side are in a position where they need a striker who can score 20 goals in the league – no player has achieved this feat for the club since Robin van Persie in 2012/13.
With the likes of Bruno, Cunha, Mbeumo and Amad feeding him throughout the season, Watkins could be the perfect player to fire United up the table and bring back the "good times", as Amorim promised to the Old Trafford faithful last season.
Summary:
- Watkins fits Man Utd's strategy of signing proven Premier League players.
- He is the man for the big games and scored against Man Utd's biggest rivals.
- He is more of a goalscoring threat than their current strikers as well as Jackson and Sesko.
Aramide Oladipo - TNT Sports UK
Have your say
Vote below on which player would be best suited to move to Old Trafford.
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