René Aufhauser, who worked in the youth set-up at RB Salzburg, has suggested Benjamin Šeško can develop into a truly elite striker. Aufhauser observed the forward after Šeško returned from a formative loan at FC Liefering to join Salzburg’s senior side in 2021. At that time Aufhauser had been shifted to the club’s youth team but remained close enough to witness Šeško’s progress, a player Manchester United splashed £73.7 million ($100 million) on this summer .

Aufhauser did not hold back in his assessment. “Erling Haaland, I will rate him 10 out of 10,” Aufhauser gushed, as quoted by Sky Sports . “I think Erling is [an] outstanding striker, and Benji, I think at the moment, maybe he’s a nine, nine and a half out of 10. And he has also potential. He will develop in the next one and two years, I’m sure.

“Erling reached his mark after his transfer from [Borussia] 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.”

The comparison is striking but the numbers underline the gap that currently exists. Šeško scored 29 goals in 79 appearances for Salzburg before moving on, and later produced 39 goals in 87 games for RB Leipzig. The coach’s projection is forward-looking: he rates Haaland as the benchmark and places Šeško close behind with room to grow.

Aufhauser’s view frames Šeško as a player with clear potential rather than an established equal to Haaland. The coach expects noticeable development over the next one to two years, with the possibility that Šeško could approach the standards set by Haaland after further progression.

Michael Owen has publicly rejected a social media comparison between himself and Wayne Rooney, posting a detailed numerical response on X. The former striker defended his early career record and challenged any suggestion that Rooney was the superior youngster.

Owen set out specific figures in the comment thread, writing: “At 17, I scored 18 PL goals (winning the Golden Boot), Wazza scored six. At 18, I again scored 18 goals (again winning the Golden Boot and coming fourth in the Ballon d’Or), Wazza scored nine,” Owen replied on X. “In our opening seven seasons, Wazza didn’t outscore me once (117 goals vs. 80). In which time I became the second youngest Ballon d’Or winner ever.

At 17 I scored 18 PL goals (winning the Golden Boot), Wazza scored 6. At 18 I again scored 18 goals (again winning the Golden Boot and coming 4th in The Ballon d’Or), Wazza scored 9. In our opening 7 seasons, Wazza didn’t outscore me once (117 goals v 80). In which time I became…

“Injuries hindered me from then on while he sustained his level. Therefore, he’ll go down as a better player than me. But, at 17, please……”

The exchange underlines two clear threads from the draft: Owen emphasised his precocious goalscoring output, and he acknowledged that injuries limited his later career while Rooney maintained consistency. The draft notes Owen remains the last English player to win the Ballon d’Or, having scooped the prize in 2001. It also contrasts career Premier League totals: Owen finished with 150 strikes in 326 matches, while Rooney produced 208 goals but required 491 games to reach that number.

The debate revolves around raw early numbers and subsequent career trajectories. Owen used the platform to assert the superiority of his teenage output, while the broader picture includes Rooney’s greater longevity and a playing style described in the draft as likely to resonate with a larger percentage of English supporters.

The Premier League’s summer market delivered heavy spending and mixed results. This review ranks clubs by how their windows reshaped squads and balance sheets, using only the transactions and outcomes reported.

At the lower end, Fulham operated on a tight budget and signed backup goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte before deadline day. Late additions Kevin, Samuel Chukwueze and Jonah Kusi-Asare bolstered the forward line, but the window remains underwhelming for Marco Silva’s side. Crystal Palace lost Eberechi Eze, missed a £35 million fee for Marc Guéhi and blocked his move to Liverpool, with Guéhi potentially leaving for free next summer. Yéremy Pino was one of the few exciting arrivals for Palace.

West Ham and Wolverhampton each spent over £100 million but their incomings have yet to impress. West Ham lost Mohammed Kudus, while Wolves saw Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri depart; Jørgen Strand Larsen stayed at Molineux. Aston Villa spent the least of any club yet retained key players and added Harvey Elliott, Jadon Sancho and Evann Guessand. Burnley and Leeds favoured quantity over marquee signings, prioritising depth at affordable prices after promotion.

Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth replaced major talents and reinvested well. Brentford negotiated excellent fees for Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, Bournemouth profited from defensive sales, and the trio should maintain standards despite changes and Brentford coping without Thomas Frank.

Mid-table movers included Nottingham Forest, who kept Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo and added four from Botafogo alongside Dan Ndoye, James McAtee and Douglas Luiz. Sunderland spent just over £180 million and added Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele, Lutsharel Geertruida, Habib Diarra and Brian Brobbey.

Big-spending clubs made headline signings. Newcastle secured a record £125 million fee for Alexander Isak, signed Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, and added Anthony Elanga and Malick Thiaw while retaining Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon. Everton’s window featured Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and several young additions including Thierno Barry. Manchester United bolstered the attack with Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško while offloading Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Marcus Rashford.

Tottenham refreshed across the pitch with the additions of Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, João Palhinha (loan), Randal Kolo Muani (loan), Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, while Son Heung-min departed. Manchester City replaced older figures with youth, signing Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki (injured), Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford and recouping fees for McAtee, Yan Couto and Máximo Perrone.

Chelsea spent almost £300 million but achieved a positive net spend, prioritising youth with João Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garancho, Jorrel Hato and Esêvão. Arsenal recorded the highest net spend after investing £267 million while receiving just £9 million in sales; key arrivals included Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Nørgaard, Martín Zubimendi and late arrival Piero Hincapié.

Liverpool led Premier League outlay with £446.5 million. They signed Alexander Isak (Premier League record fee), Florian Wirtz (division record at £116 million), Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Giovanni Leoni, and recouped almost half the spend by selling Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez. A late collapse of the Marc Guéhi transfer was the only notable disappointment in an otherwise aggressive window for the Reds.