The Manchester United transfer chief has an impressive track record of signing up and coming young strikers
Christopher Vivell
Christopher Vivell(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United have wasted no time in making moves in this summer's transfer market after their worst Premier League campaign in the club's history. Ruben Amorim's side endured a dismal top flight campaign and any hope of a Champions League lifeline was dashed after defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League Final.
Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have already sanctioned the arrival of Matheus Cunha from Wolves in a deal worth £62.5million and are in talks with Brentford to sign forward Bryan Mbeumo as they look to restore their place at England's top table.
Amorim made it clear his side needed to score more goals after a disappointing defeat to Wolves last season. After the game, the Portuguese head coach said: "It’s easy to review this game. They scored in the only opportunity they had, we had many chances and we didn’t score.
"If you don’t score goals, you are not going to win games. It’s really frustrating to be better than the opponent, create chances but then lose the game.
"We have to score goals. We need to improve in that area of the game clearly. If you don't score goals, you don't win games. I think the biggest problem is the lack of goals. We are not scoring.
"We are creating chances but we are not scoring. I think it's also the moment [why we're missing] sometimes but I don't know how to explain. But we need to improve in that area."
The Reds will be hoping the arrivals of Mbeumo and Cunha will add both creativity and a ruthlessness in the final third, but the addition of a new striker will also play a major part. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee struggled in front of goal last season, prompting United to be linked with a whole host of strikers this summer.
Sporting CP striker, Viktor Gyokeres, was unsurprisingly linked with a move to Old Trafford given his relationship with United boss Amorim, but as of yet, the Reds have not made a move to sign the Swedish striker. The likes of Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko have also been linked with a move to United, but the club know they'll have to spend big on the trio and will have one eye on PSR.
However, United do have a trump card up their sleeve in the form of Christopher Vivell, the club's director of recruitment. The 38-year-old, who previously worked at RB Leipzig and Chelsea, will be tasked with taking ownership of United's scouting department after years of poor recruitment.
The German has already shown he has what it takes to sign a top tier striker, after signing Benjamin Sesko for RB Leipzig, just a few years after the young Slovenian replaced Erling Haaland at RB Salzburg. Both players came off the talent conveyor belt at the Austrian club after it's emergence on the European stage.
Former RB Salzburg forward Erling Haaland
Former RB Salzburg forward Erling Haaland
(Image: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
Haaland joined Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of €20million (£17.04m) after scoring 29 goals in 27 games at Salzburg. He'd go on to score an incredible 86 goals in 89 appearances for the German club and the rest, as we know, is history.
It's not an understatement to say Haaland is a generational talent, but Vivell kept a close eye on proceedings at RB Salzburg and watched Sesko follow in the footsteps of the Norwegian striker. The duo were actually at the Austrian club at the same time, though the Slovenian's route to the first-team was a slower one.
Sesko spent time on loan with FC Liefering - the reserve team of RB Salzburg - during his first two years at the club, scoring 22 goals in 44 appearances in Austria's second tier. The club were already preparing for Haaland's departure by developing Sesko in the wings.
After being integrated into the first team, the Slovenian striker would score 29 goals in 79 appearances for RB Salzburg, before Vivell came calling with Leipzig. Sesko's form at the Austrian club would attract the attention of a number of Europe's top clubs, but there was a reluctance from England to sign the young striker given clubs weren't sure he could carry his form over into the top flight.
Like Haaland - the Bundesliga came calling and gave Sesko an opportunity to perform. Vivell sanctioned a €24million (£20.45m) move for the striker, who has gone on to score 39 times in 87 appearances in two seasons at Leipzig. This summer, Arsenal have been linked with a big-money move for the 22-year-old.
United may not be in the mix to sign Sesko themselves, but Vivell has already shown he has what it takes to take a gamble on a rough diamond who can go on to become a star.