Benjamin Sesko has signalled his desire to join Manchester United with Newcastle at risk of missing out on another major summer transfer target.
Newcastle had increased their bid for Sesko on Monday, guaranteeing RB Leipzig an initial £71.9m with a further £2.2m in add-ons. But Sesko is understood to have set his sights on a move to Old Trafford and United are now in advanced discussions with Leipzig to try to close a deal.
United have proposed an overall package that matches Newcastle’s £74.1m bid but with less money up front. United have offered an initial £65.4m for the Slovenia international. Despite Newcastle offering Champions League football and their willingness to pay a higher up-front fee, the 22-year-old had been waiting for United to formalise their interest and has signalled his intention to move to Manchester. United now need to finalise an agreement with Leipzig.
Newcastle have already missed out to United for Bryan Mbeumo this summer and saw another player of interest, Matheus Cunha, move to Old Trafford. Eddie Howe also watched Hugo Ekitike opt for Liverpool over Tyneside and goalkeeper James Trafford choose to rejoin Manchester City rather than move to St James’ Park. United had tried and failed to sign Liam Delap earlier in the summer only for the striker to join Chelsea from Ipswich for £30m. The Old Trafford club ended up canvassing a number of forward options after the Delap move collapsed and narrowed their search down to Sesko or Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
United are thought to have resolved that the costs involved in trying to strike a deal for Watkins were too steep for a 29-year-old, even though he would have been able to offer the proven Premier League experience the club have deliberately targeted this summer. Any successful pursuit of Sesko would raise fresh questions over the future of Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund, whom United had signed from Atalanta for an initial £64m rising to £72m two years ago.
United are believed to be open to offers for Hojlund this month but the striker has signalled a desire to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place and would only be forced out reluctantly. United would need to sell Hojlund for £38.4m to avoid making a loss on the Dane – that figure is the cost of his remaining “book value”.
Signing Sesko would take United’s summer spending to £214m after the arrivals of Mbeumo, Cunha and left-back Diego Leon, and will increase the onus on the club to sell unwanted players. Chelsea are chasing Alejandro Garnacho while Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia are all surplus to requirements.
United’s £12.75m wage savings on Marcus Rashford, who joined Barcelona on a season-long loan last month, staggered payment structures on Mbeumo and Cunha, the near £21m raised in sell-on fees and Chelsea’s penalty payment on Sancho plus reduced costs following major job cuts have given the club just enough wriggle room to finance the Sesko move. But they must start to offload players to ease financial pressures amid tight requirements to stay on the right side of profit and sustainability rules.