Man United Target Sesko as Top Striker over Watkins

Manchester United Targets Benjamin Sesko as Top Striker

Manchester United is focusing on signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig as their primary striker target this summer. The club had also considered Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins but has now set its sights on Sesko. Newcastle is also interested in Sesko as a replacement for Alexander Isak if he joins Liverpool. There is a possibility that United's head coach, Ruben Amorim, may start the new season without a new striker.

United had approached Aston Villa with a £45 million offer for Watkins, but Villa was not willing to sell at that price. Watkins, aged 29, would have provided Premier League experience to Amorim, who has already made significant signings this summer. Sesko, at 22, is a younger option and comes with a higher transfer fee due to RB Leipzig's valuation of the player.

RB Leipzig has an agreement with Sesko to let him go for a fee between £60-70 million plus add-ons to certain clubs. Manchester United has been tracking Sesko for a while, with director of recruitment Christopher Vivell playing a crucial role in negotiations due to his past experience at Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg, Sesko's former club. Sesko has a strong track record, scoring 39 goals in 87 games for Leipzig and 16 goals in 41 appearances for Slovenia.

United had initially aimed to sign Liam Delap, who later joined Chelsea. Other striker options were considered but were deemed too expensive. Newcastle remains hopeful of convincing Sesko to move to their club if Isak departs, following discussions with Leipzig and the player's representatives.