Barcelona have been credited with a surprise interest in Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko, according to Spanish outlet Marca.
The Spanish champions are determined to pursue a new striker this summer, and they have earmarked Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez as their prime target.
However, a deal won’t be easy to pursue. Real Madrid recently failed with a £129m bid for the Argentine, and Atletico could well hold out for a much higher fee.
Sporting director Deco has Alvarez as the primary priority, but has listed alternatives if a deal does not go through. United star Sesko is among those names.
United unlikely to entertain Sesko’s exit at any price
Sesko joined the Red Devils from RB Leipzig for an initial £66 million last summer.
He was the subject of interest from Newcastle United during the same transfer window, but had an easy choice to make once the Red Devils made an offer, given they were his dream club.
The Slovenian had a slow start to his career in a 3-4-2-1 formation under ex-manager Ruben Amorim, but found form once the club reverted to a traditional set-up (4-2-3-1) after the Portuguese’s exit.
Sesko was in and out of the starting XI under manager Michael Carrick earlier this year, but he scored multiple winning goals. He ended the season with 12 goals, with nine of those in 2026.
The 23-year-old, described as a player with ‘world-class potential‘ by Amorim, should only get better next season, having built up chemistry with his teammates. He has the potential to notch up 25 goals with the club back in the Champions League.
Marca have surprisingly linked Barcelona with Sesko, but United are unlikely to entertain his departure at any price. Instead, the club are focused on bringing in a possible competitor to the squad.
Joshua Zirkzee has failed to meet expectations during his two seasons at the club. The Dutchman has been linked with a return to Serie A. His departure could pave the way for a new striker signing.
United could still do business with Barcelona this summer. There is a possibility that Marcus Rashford could return to the Blaugrana on a permanent basis after a successful season long-loan spell.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com