Manchester United transfer news as Newcastle's bid to sign Benjamin Sesko could be the ticket for United to finally sign a striker
Josh is a Senior Football Writer for Reach PLC's Central Audience Team. Having previously spent over a year at football.london as a trends writer, Josh has experience covering Leicester City for the Leicester Mercury. You can find Josh's work across Reach PLC sides such as Manchester Evening News, football.london, Liverpool Echo, LeedsLive and many more.
Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins could be the striker Man United sign this summer(Image: ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Manchester United could finally be about to find a solution to Ruben Amorim's long-winded search for a new striker this summer. United have missed out on two of their targets this window with Liam Delap joining Chelsea and Viktor Gyokeres moving to Arsenal.
The Reds' poor end to last season has left Amorim's options short with no European football to offer. After signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo earlier in the window, United are now prioritising a new centre-forward.
Benjamin Sesko is at the top of their list after the 22-year-old was snubbed by Arsenal. However, United aren't alone with Newcastle pushing hard to strike an agreement with RB Leipzig to sign the striker.
A club-record deal worth at least £70million has been put on the table by Eddie Howe's men but it remains unknown what Sesko's official preference is. It's been widely reported that the Magpies are keen to get the deal concluded before the Premier League starts next weekend.
United are believed to be keen on signing the Slovenia international but as of right now, they are yet to submit a formal bid. Should Sesko move to Newcastle and Amorim miss out on a striker for the third time, the club will be forced to look at Plan D or even Plan E.
Ollie Watkins is, on paper, the next best option with the Aston Villa centre-forward boasting an impressive goalscoring record. The England international is understood to be available for transfer this summer with Unai Emery said to be willing to sell him.
Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa shows appreciation to the fans
Manchester United would improve if they signed Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa this summer
The Mirror have claimed that Watkins could be sold in order for Villa to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea. That has been followed by The Athletic, who have reported that Chelsea would be open to letting him depart if the right deal emerges.
It may not be the circumstance that United want to be in but it largely comes down to their poor performance last season. It remains to be seen whether they can afford Sesko, but if Newcastle win the race, United could benefit from the Jackson and Watkins domino effect.
If Villa are willing to sell Watkins to bring in Jackson, the England international surely has to be bought. United know they can't go into the new season without another striker and the longer the window goes, the more every club will become desperate.
Should Jackson be available for Villa and Emery push for it, the green light is there for Watkins. Signing the 29-year-old is less of a risk for United than Sesko due to his Premier League experience and it is highly likely to be a cheaper package to construct.
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