By Sam McGuireHis time in England will be remembered for the many, many missed chances. He missed 20 big chances during his debut campaign in the English top-flight, ranking joint-third for this metric despite racking up just 1,700 minutes. He missed 27 during the 2023/24 campaign, ranking second in the Premier League. Last term, he missed just eight, but Arne Slot did limit his minutes on the pitch to just 1,118 in the English top-tier. Darwin, a one-time Manchester United target, was someone who found himself in the right place at the right time more often than not. A combination of bad luck and bad finishing prevented him from rivalling Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot during his stint in England. During his final campaign with Benfica, it was the complete opposite. He significantly overperformed in the penalty area, scoring 22 open-play goals in the Portuguese top-flight from a Non-Penalty Expected Goals total of 14.9. He was full of confidence in Portugal after finding his feet. As a result, his finishing was clinical. Things went awry for him in what was a transitional campaign for Liverpool. The Red looks to revamp their forward line with two attackers from Portugal – though Luis Díaz joined in January – and Cody Gakpo, another United target under Erik ten Hag, was signed in the winter window following Darwin’s arrival. Combine this with the fact the midfield needed reinforcements and it’s no wonder Jürgen Klopp’s plan didn’t play out. This brings me to Benjamin Šeško, Manchester United’s latest forward. The 22-year-old was linked with Arsenal before the Gunners opted to sign Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting. Šeško was reportedly on Liverpool’s radar, likely due to their good relationship with RB Leipzig, but the champions settled on Hugo Ekitike while still, at the time of writing, looking to bring in Alexander Isak for a British record fee. At a glance, there are comparisons between Šeško and Rasmus Højlund, another big-money move made by Manchester United. Like with the Slovenian forward, Højlund was highly-rated and joined the Red Devils in a deal worth £64million in 2023. The general consensus online, from rival fans at least, is why spend £73million on Šeško, a raw, erratic forward with huge upside, when you already possess Højlund, a raw, erratic forward with huge upside? Benjamin Šeško’s player traits comparisonThe answer to that is simple. Šeško has a much higher ceiling and there’s more for Ruben Amorim to work with. You can see it in the FotMob radars.Šeško is involved, attempts shots, wins aerial duels and scores goals.Rasmus Højlund player traits comparisonHøjlund, last season, did none of that. Couple that with the fact the former RB Leipzig man was one of the fastest strikers in the Bundesliga last term with a top speed of 35.7km/h and it’s easy to understand why he was wanted. The next question is whether or not he’s another Darwin. A young striker with a huge xG overperformance in a foreign league who then can’t do it in the Premier League. That could be the case. We won’t know for a couple of years. But the fears are justified. Last season, Šeško netted 13 goals in the German top-flight from an xG haul of just 9.89. The season prior, he had 14 strikes to his name from an xG total of 7.66.Last term, 37% of his efforts in total arrived from outside of the area – viewed as low value attempts.Benjamin Šeško’s shot map, Bundesliga 2024/25In a nutshell, he hasn’t been great at getting into good areas on a reliable basis. He’s a low-volume shooter and his game needs a lot of refinement if he’s to do well in the Premier League. But there’s a lot for Amorim to work with. And despite the narrative that United are a bit of a shambles, the attack at Old Trafford is a good environment for Šeško to develop. Unlike Liverpool when trying to bed Darwin in, United have opted to sign Premier League proven players in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Both players are 26 and both have experience in the English top flight with a combined 55 goals across the last two campaigns. Yes, the pair will need to adapt to life with the Red Devils, but they’re well aware of the physicality needed in the Premier League. They can help Šeško settle a lot quicker. In Amorim, there’s a manager who got the best out of Gyökeres during his time in Portugal. Šeško possesses traits he wants from a centre forward, as detailed recently when speaking to MUTV: “He has the characteristics that we needed. He is really young, he is good in the air, he is good at running the channels and he is good on the ball, so I think he has great potential. I think he can improve a lot.“For sure, he is going to feel at home in our club. He is the right character in this group, so we are really, really happy to have him.”It is set up for Šeško to succeed. His weaknesses will be masked by the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo, with the pair technically brilliant and creative, while the team should play to his strengths, allowing him to bully opponents with his pace and size. Work on his finishing and he could be a revelation for the Red Devils. (Cover image from IMAGO)You can track all the summer moves via the FotMob Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.