Manchester United passed on the opportunity to sign Dusan Vlahovic in favour of Benjamin Sesko
Manchester United have turned down the chance to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, despite the Serbian international being offered to the club in recent days as a potential last-minute solution to the striker issue.
Instead, United remain firmly focused on landing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, who is now viewed as the ideal long-term fit to lead the line under Ruben Amorim.
Vlahovic offered as an emergency option—United Say No
According to reports from Tuttosport via Give Me Sport, Vlahovic was proposed to Manchester United as a late-window option amid Juventus’ growing desperation to offload the forward. The 24-year-old is on a staggering £327,000-a-week wage, which, coupled with his inconsistent form and injury concerns, made him an ill-fitting choice for United’s new project.
Manchester United passed on the opportunity to sign Dusan Vlahovic in favour of Benjamin Sesko.
Juventus have reportedly been working behind the scenes to find a suitor, and with the window ticking down, intermediaries floated his name to Old Trafford. But the response from INEOS and Amorim was clear and decisive: no thanks.
Why Vlahovic is a poor fit
While Vlahovic once looked like a generational striker at Fiorentina, scoring 38 Serie A goals across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, his development at Juventus has stuttered. Last season, he managed just 10 goals in 29 league appearances — hardly the numbers of a reliable number nine at the elite level.
Manchester United’s decision to pass on Vlahovic reflects a broader shift under Amorim and INEOS: no more short-term patchwork signings. The club is building something sustainable, and Vlahovic, with his hefty wages, patchy injury record, and questionable consistency, was seen as a “last-minute gamble” not worth the risk.
In stark contrast, Benjamin Sesko represents everything United want in their new striker. Young, dynamic, clinical, and already proving himself at RB Leipzig, the Slovenian fits perfectly into Amorim’s high-pressing, attacking football.
Manchester United passed on the opportunity to sign Dusan Vlahovic in favour of Benjamin Sesko.
United lodged a formal bid earlier this week, and the mood around Carrington suggests real confidence that a deal can be struck. Even if Newcastle United make a late play for the 21-year-old, United are prepared to push hard to secure his signature.
Manchester United’s refusal to be baited into a panic move for Vlahovic is a sign of progress. This isn’t the United of old scrambling for marquee names regardless of fit. This is a club with a clear philosophy, structure, and vision. With Sesko on his way and Ruben Amorim overseeing a tactical revolution, the Red Devils are prioritizing smart, sustainable recruitment over short-term desperation.