Manchester United are increasingly confident of signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig on a deal that could rise to £74.1m after the striker indicated his preference to join the club
Newcastle are interested in the Slovenia international, but Sesko favours a move to Old Trafford, where he is due to sign a five-year deal, even though Newcastle offer Champions League football. United have offered £65.4m upfront and the remainder in add-ons.
After completing deals for Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego León, Ruben Amorim has focused on securing a No 9 after United scored 44 goals in 38 Premier League games last season. They missed out on Liam Delap, who joined Chelsea, and Hugo Ekitiké, after he moved to Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt. Ollie Watkins was another target, but United were put off by Aston Villa’s £60m valuation.
Sesko scored 13 times in 33 Bundesliga appearances last season and got a further four goals in the Champions League.
His arrival would take United’s summer spend to about £214m and leave them to concentrate on sales. Marcus Rashford has departed on loan for Barcelona, who will pay all of the forward’s wages, but no deals have been sealed for Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia. None of the four have been part of Amorim’s pre-season plans and were allowed extra time away from the club to seek an exit.
Sesko’s arrival would create further uncertainty about Rasmus Højlund’s future. The Dane has struggled leading the line since joining for £72m from Atalanta and has been made available, but United would also consider loaning him if a club are willing to cover his wages and pay a fee.
