Man Utd are favourites to sign RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United are favourites to sign Benjamin Sesko after the striker indicated he would rather join them than Newcastle in the summer transfer window.
RB Leipzig have already accepted a bid of €82.5 million plus €2.5m in add-ons from Newcastle, but are yet to agree terms with United for his proposed transfer. United now know the financial package they will have to offer to secure his signature and there is a confidence an agreement can soon be reached.
While the transfer fee might seem high for a young striker who managed just 13 league goals last season, the signing of Sesko would be another statement of intent for a club that feared the worst after their worst season in modern history. Amid the opportunity to move to a Champions League side, he would rather play for a team that finished 15th in the Premier League, finished the season trophyless and have no European football next season.
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What does Sesko deal mean for Hojlund and Obi
Ruben Amorim made it his priority to sign a new striker in the final month of the summer transfer window as he aimed to overhaul an attack that scored just 44 league goals last season. Manchester United have already spent £127.5 million on Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, while a deal for Benjamin Sesko could take that spending to over £200 million.
With that much investment, United will demand significant improvement from their attacking players next season and Amorim faces the welcome selection headache of attempting to get them all into his best starting line up, while also utilising the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Amad.
United experimented with Cunha as a false nine during pre-season, and that is another option available to them next season if they are without Sesko for any significant period. The biggest question, though, is what it means for those who are already at the club.
Rasmus Hojlund is adamant he wants to remain a United player and it is worth remembering he was signed for an almost identical fee to the proposed Sesko package just two years ago. The 22-year-old is older than Sesko and will feel particularly perturbed by the fact that they are prepared to take a gamble on a striker who is as unproven as he was when he moved to Old Trafford.
However, it is no secret United want to get rid of Hojlund and they are prepared to sell him for just £30m this summer if an appropriate offer comes in. The Danish international might realise it is in his best interest to go once a replacement arrives, with no guarantee of regular playing time next season.
In terms of Chido Obi, it seems both a blessing and a curse. The 17-year-old is expected to occupy a backup role next season and won't be impacted too much in the short term by the proposed arrival of Sesko, though there are questions over how it affects his long-term development.
A key reason United have pushed for the RB Leipzig star is because he has so much untapped potential and could be moulded into their star striker for the next decade. That is probably the same sales pitch they made to Obi when they convinced him to sign a year ago. The five-year age gap certainly feels huge at the moment in time, but in a few years, Obi will expect to play regularly, while Sesko should theoretically be at his prime. It isn't a massive issue now, though it could become one further down the line.
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