Manchester United news: ‘Carrick invited me to talk to Sesko’ – How Berbatov helped Manchester United striker

Dimitar Berbatov has revealed that he held talks with Benjamin Sesko at the request of Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick, as the club continues its search for attacking consistency.

Manchester United have spent heavily in recent seasons in an attempt to rebuild their forward line. Beyond new signings, the Red Devils have also turned to former club legend Berbatov, who was asked to speak with Sesko last week.

A multiple title winner at Old Trafford and Premier League top scorer in 2010-11, the former Bulgarian striker confirmed that the meeting took place following a conversation with Carrick, with whom he played between 2008 and 2012.

“Carrick invited me to talk to Sesko last week. We had a positive discussion about organising his physical conditioning and decision-making in front of goal,” Berbatov said.

The timing of that conversation appeared significant, as Sesko went on to score a dramatic stoppage-time winner in Manchester United’s 3-2 home victory over Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

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From scrutiny to praise for Sesko at Manchester United

After developing at Red Bull Salzburg, Benjamin Sesko made his name in European football following his move to RB Leipzig, where he stood out in the Bundesliga thanks to his physical presence and goalscoring ability.

Despite some inconsistency in Germany, the Slovenian striker continued to attract Premier League interest and joined Manchester United in August 2025. The deal was worth €76.5m (£66m) plus €8.5m (£7.3m) in add-ons.

Sesko arrived in England under pressure to succeed where Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee had struggled to fully deliver. His early months at Old Trafford were marked by irregular performances, criticism from the media and sections of the fanbase, and a knee injury in November that sidelined him for a month.

However, the 22-year-old has shown signs of growing confidence in recent weeks, scoring four goals in his last four appearances. While he does not yet have a guaranteed starting place under interim boss Carrick, Sesko continues to make progress in his adaptation to the Premier League.