Erling Haaland and Benjamin Sesko will reunite at the Etihad Stadium, not long after the duo both came through the ranks at RB Salzburg many years ago
Erling Haaland scored six goals in two matches during the international break(Image: Photo by FREDRIK VARFJELL/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
A football coach who oversaw the development of Erling Haaland and Benjamin Sesko believes the Manchester United forward will reach the same level as the Manchester City goal guzzler.
Rene Aufhaser, who helped mould Haaland and Sesko into two of Europe’s most exciting forwards at RB Salzburg, was asked to make a comparison between the two. Ahead of this weekend’s Manchester Derby, he boldly said the latter, who joined the Red Devils from RB Leipzig this summer, will be as good as Haaland.
So far, the 22-year-old has only started one game under Ruben Amorim, which was the disastrous League Cup second round exit to Grimsby Town. However, after seeing both Haaland and Sesko when they were both raw football talents, Aufhaser is confident the United forward will fulfil his potential.
Speaking to Sky Sports before the derby, the coach said: “Erling Haaland, I will rate him 10 out of 10. I think Erling is [an] outstanding striker and Benji [Šeško], I think at the moment maybe he’s a nine, nine-and-a-half out of 10. And he has potential.
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“He will develop in the next one and two years, I’m sure. Erling reached his mark after his transfer from Dortmund to Man City and we will see.
“I am quite sure Benji will reach this mark after one or two years. But, of course, Erling is the top. He has 10 out of 10 from me.”
It’s not the first time a direct comparison has been made between Sesko and Haaland. The young forward even claimed many of his team-mates told him he is a better player than the Norwegian, who boasts 88 goals and 17 assists in 100 Premier League games for City.
Sesko is yet to start a Premier League match for United(Image: (Photo by Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
In a previous interview, Sesko said: “Such comparisons motivate me and give me energy. They do not represent pressure. I will listen and learn, so I can be even better than he is.
“My team-mates at the club tell me that Haaland and I are very similar, especially in terms of speed. Most of them even tell me that I’m better than him!”
Sesko did row back on those comments when his move to United was secured. This was perhaps wise as he is yet to make an impact in any of his three appearances off the bench for United in the Premier League.
Amorim has mainly used Sesko from the bench(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
Over the course of his career with RB Salzburg, FC Liefering and RB Leipzig, Sesko has scored 100 goals and contributed 26 assists in 228 career appearances. He also boasts 16 goals in 43 appearances for Slovenia, but failed to get on the scoresheet in his nation’s 2-2 draw against Sweden and 3-0 loss to Switzerland.
Nevertheless, he was still backed by international team-mate Andraz Sporar, who urged patience. He told reporters: “What does he bring to United? Everything. He has speed, power, intelligence, good football IQ.
“I believe he can be a complete striker in the next two or three years. But he’s still young. He will help Manchester United a lot, they just need to be patient. I believe he’ll score the goals and every year he will be better and better.”
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