Manchester United are close to signing Benjamin Sesko after he snubbed a move to Newcastle, but an ex-Liverpool star thinks they missed a trick in not signing a different player
Reported Manchester United target Benjamin Sesko in action RB Leipzig
A talkSPORT pundit thinks Manchester United have made a mistake in their pursuit of Benjamin Sesko
(Image: Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Manchester United have been told they've made a mistake in pursuing Benjamin Sesko when a cheaper option was staring them in the face.
The Red Devils look to have beaten Newcastle in the race for the 22-year-old striker's signature after he made clear Old Trafford was his preferred destination. The Magpies had a bid of £78million for the Slovenian accepted by RB Leipzig earlier this week.
However, United are now close to landing their latest top target, with The Athletic reporting a deal worth an initial £66.4m plus £7.4m in add ons has now been agreed in principle and the player has been given permission to fly to England for his medical.
Sesko's imminent arrival will be music to the ears of head coach Ruben Amorim, who has been chasing a new no. 9 for most of the transfer window.
It follows United's lacklustre form in front of goal last season, which contributed to a disappointing league finish in 15th place. However, former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Dean Saunders believes they missed a trick in not swooping for Darwin Nunez instead.
The Uruguayan is close to completing his departure from Anfield after the reigning Premier League champions agreed a deal worth an initial £46m with around another £10m in add ons for him to move to the Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, while a medical now awaits.
Opting for Nunez over Sesko could therefore theoretically have saved United at least another £20m, should Liverpool have been willing to do business for the same price with their arch-rivals, and it's a chance Saunders reckons they should have taken.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the ex-Wolves and Wrexham manager said: "Nunez, he's up for grabs. Would you rather not have Nunez than Sesko and Gyokeres? They paid a lot of money for them, and I thought, 'he's up for grabs.' I would take a chance on him.
Darwin Nunez during the pre-season friendly between Liverpool and Athletic Club.
Dean Saunders claims Man United miss a trick by not signing Darwin Nunez from Liverpool
"He's got every finish in his locker, both feet, headers, he's gone round the keeper, he's slotted the keeper, he's chipped the keeper, he's scored from distance. We've seen him do every finish, but somehow he manages to conjure up a miss.
"I don't know how many times he hit the post and the crossbar last season. There's definitely a player in there, you look at him and think, 'What a handful he is to play against.' He scored a lot of goals for Benfica in his second season."
He added: "I wouldn't be surprised if Nunez goes somewhere else and scores 20 goals next season. You might get him on the cheap, you wouldn't pay £90million for him, but you might get him for £40million."
Saunders made his bold statement despite Nunez often frustrating Liverpool fans with his inconsistency since joining the club from Benfica in 2022. The 26-year-old only managed five goals in the Premier League for Arne Slot's side last season.
By comparison, Sesko scored 13 times in the Bundesliga last term and also netted on four occasions in the Champions League. Sesko will become the new face of their attacking unit, alongside summer recruits Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
It's also being reported that the Red Devils are looking to bring in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, with contact already made with the Seagulls via intermediaries.