Man United are battling it out with Newcastle United to sign Benjamin Sesko - but they have another option they can consider.
George is a Senior Football Writer for the Manchester Evening News, mostly covering Manchester United. He previously worked for football.london before joining the MEN team in July 2021. As well as covering United, George is a Championship-enthusiast and co-hosts The Championship Chat Podcast (@Champchatpod24), which you can find on all major podcast platforms.
Manchester United football director Jason Wilcox stands next to chief executive Omar Berrada.
Jason Wilcox (left) and Omar Berrada need to come up with an answer to the striker search.
(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images.)
Old Trafford or St James' Park? That is the question facing Benjamin Sesko right now.
With just under four weeks of the summer transfer window remaining, the RB Leipzig striker finds himself at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
Both clubs are determined to strengthen their respective forward lines ahead of the September 1 deadline and Sesko has emerged as a leading target for the pair of them.
After finishing last season's Premier League campaign with a negative goal difference of -10, United have prioritised attacking signings this summer.
They have brought in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo from Wolves and Brentford respectively, but they are still missing the most importance piece of the jigsaw in the form of a recognised centre-forward.
Rasmus Hojlund, who United are open to selling for £30million, regressed last season, scoring just ten goals in all competitions. Fellow attacker Joshua Zirkzee, who arrived from Bologna last summer, scored seven goals and is not a centre-forward.
After missing out on Liam Delap in early-June, United have since been chasing shadows in their striker search. However, it was never unrealistic to suggest sourcing their most important signing could take the most amount of time.
Right now, Sesko occupies top spot on United's wish list. However, unlike Newcastle, they are yet to table a formal offer for the Slovenian international, who scored 21 goals for Leipzig last season.
Newcastle have submitted two offers for the 22-year-old, the most recent of which, according to Sky Sports, was worth £69.7m as a fixed fee plus add-ons.
Benjamin Sesko in action for RB Leipzig.
Benjamin Sesko is a man in demand.
United do not want to get drawn into a bidding war for the striker, and understandably so, and it is believed they want assurances from Sesko that he wants to move to Old Trafford before potentially making an opening offer.
Despite already spending more than £130m this summer, United are confident of financing a deal for Sesko before overseeing sales. United expect to save £14m this season on Marcus Rashford's wages, they have banked £5m from Chelsea's decision not to sign Jadon Sancho permanently and have raised £20.7m from sell-on clauses inserted in previous sales.
In a better financial position than what was originally anticipated at the start of the window, United have resources available to them to sign Sesko. But is he worth the fee Leipzig are demanding?
As with any transfer pursuit, United's interest in Sesko has split opinion. Many recognise his high ceiling and potential, and also acknowledge his respectable goalscoring record in Germany and Austria, but can United afford to take such a big risk at this moment in time?
On one hand, supporters are within their rights to say yes, acknowledging the additions of Cunha and Mbeumo, who scored 37 goals between them last season, of which 35 were scored in the Premier League. On the flip side, others believe United should go for somebody who is more established and proven, no doubt mindful of the gamble United took on Hojlund two years ago.
Last week, it was confirmed Ollie Watkins had also made his way onto United's list of options, but Aston Villa are currently refusing to sell him. He has three years left on his contract and scored 16 Premier League goals last season.
Ollie Watkins celebrates after scoring for Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Ollie Watkins has scored 75 career goals in the Premier League.
However, if United are capable of throwing big-money at Leipzig in an attempt to sign Sesko, they will almost certainly have the funds available to try and change Villa's stance.
Watkins is seven years Sesko's senior, meaning his ceiling is not as high, but what he does boast is a proven record in the Premier League.
Despite never scoring 20 goals or more in a Premier League campaign, the England international has reached double figures in each of the last five seasons since joining Villa in 2020, scoring 75 league goals. He has plundered 87 goals in all competitions for Villa.
At 29, Watkins is not necessarily as attractive a signing as what Sesko would be, but there is a stronger likelihood of him coming in and hitting the ground running. He has scored 35 Premier League goals in the last two seasons, assisting 21.
Having already swooped for two of the Premier League's best players in Mbeumo and Cunha this summer, Watkins would be a fitting addition to come in and spearhead United's attack.
Sesko currently sits at the top of the wish list, but it would be foolish to turn a blind eye to Watkins and his record.