Manchester United's season has hit a new low after a shock FA Cup exit, with former player Owen Hargreaves launching a scathing critique of the club's transfer strategy concerning their £74 million striker, Benjamin Sesko.
FA Cup Defeat Highlights Striker Shortage
The Red Devils' hopes of salvaging silverware from a dismal campaign were extinguished on Sunday, January 11, 2026, with a 2-1 third-round home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Brajan Gruda and former United forward Danny Welbeck scored for the Seagulls before Sesko netted a late consolation with a header.
Despite the Slovenia international scoring his third goal in two games, the effort proved futile. The loss was compounded by teenager Shea Lacey being sent off on his Old Trafford debut. The result means United will almost certainly finish the season without a trophy, with new manager Ruben Amorim's recent sacking failing to spark an improvement.
Hargreaves Points to a Recurring Problem
Analysing the match for TNT Sports, ex-United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves defended Sesko but laid the blame squarely at the club's door. He argued that the 22-year-old is being asked to bear an impossible burden as the club's only recognised centre-forward.
'It was a good header from him,' Hargreaves said. 'He's a threat... I think he'll get better and better. But the onus shouldn't just be on Benjamin Sesko to score goals.'
Hargreaves drew a stark contrast with United's illustrious past, citing the plethora of attacking options during the Sir Alex Ferguson era, including Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He then highlighted a worrying modern parallel.
'We saw that with Rasmus Hojlund and how that ended – he's on loan,' Hargreaves stated. 'So you've got another young lad that's trying to bear the burden of scoring all the goals. I think that's a lot for one, young player.'
A Costly and Familiar Cycle
Sesko's £74 million move from RB Leipzig last summer was meant to solve United's striker issues. However, his slow start – just two goals in his first 17 games – mirrored the struggles of Hojlund, who was subsequently loaned to Napoli.
This has left Sesko as the sole natural number nine in the squad, with support players like Joshua Zirkzee and Matheus Cunha preferring a deeper role. The club's failure to recruit an experienced striker to mentor Sesko and share the goalscoring load is now being viewed as a critical error, especially with the club's transfer plans in disarray following Amorim's departure.
The defeat to Brighton has intensified scrutiny on United's recruitment, with many fearing the club is doomed to repeat the same costly mistakes unless a fundamental change in strategy occurs.
