Man Utd transfer news: Benjamin Sesko top striker target for Old Trafford club amid Newcastle interest

Manchester United have held initial talks with RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko.

The 22-year-old has emerged as a top target for Manchester United in this window if they sign a striker.

Exploratory talks have also been held with Sesko's representatives and it is understood that while Manchester United are keen to sign him, it will not be a simple deal to do financially.

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Newcastle United are also interested in the player, but it is thought, as it stands, Manchester United is Sesko's preferred destination.

The interest in Sesko is being driven by recruitment director Christopher Vivell - he is widely credited for scouting Sesko for Red Bull Salzburg when he was 16.

United's interest in Sesko is long-standing, having kept an eye on his development for a number of years.

While the focus is clearly on player sales, United have done due diligence on a number of strikers in this window.

Talks have been held with Aston Villa over Ollie Watkins, while there was also a tentative interest in Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson.

However, the prices and structure for those players have been deemed too high at this stage.

While Sesko would cost more than Watkins overall, it's thought a more favourable structure could be struck with Leipzig.

Sky Sports News has been reporting that Leipzig are expected to use Hugo Ekitike's transfer fee as a benchmark in negotiations for Sesko. Ekitike joined Liverpool for an initial £69m plus £10m in add-ons.

Sesko has a gentleman's agreement in place with Leipzig and they will not stand in his way should an appropriate offer arrive.

What next for Hojlund?

Rasmus Hojlund responded to Man Utd's interest in Sesko by scoring the opening goal in their 4-1 win over Bournemouth on Thursday.

Hojlund struggled in his first season at United but boss Ruben Amorim believes his side are playing better because of Hojlund's improvement.

"The important thing I think is that people focus on the goals and we suffer a lot because of the lack of goals," he said. "I think not just the goals, but the way he connects the play every time we have to kick the ball [long].

"The ability for him to hold the defender and to connect in support is helping us a lot to play better and we are playing better because he's playing better."

The United boss doubled down on his praise for Hojlund when asked a direct question about interest in Sesko.

"I'm really happy with Rasmus," said Amorim. "I don't know what is going to happen until the end of the market. The important thing is that the strikers that are here are working really well, are improving, are helping the team and that is the most important thing."

The next Haaland? What Sesko would bring to Man Utd

Sesko has scored 39 goals in 87 games for RB Leipzig since joining from Red Bull Salzburg two years ago, but what qualities would he bring to Old Trafford? And could he really be the next Erling Haaland?

His scoring record is modest by comparison but Sesko is a rare breed of striker with a similar physical profile to Haaland. At 6ft 4in, he is exactly the same height and similarly quick.

His stature allows him to play the role of a targetman, holding the ball up, bringing team-mates into play and providing an outlet for long passes, crosses and set-piece deliveries.

Like Haaland, he combines those qualities with explosive pace.

Last season in the Bundesliga, Sesko's top speed of 35.69 km/h put him 26th among 492 players to feature in the competition. He ranked even higher in the previous campaign, at 15th.

By targeting Sesko, Manchester United are continuing a theme of trying to add pace to their attack this summer having already signed Bryan Mbeumo, who recorded a top speed of 36.63 km/h last term, making him the fourth-fastest player in the Premier League.

Read more of Nick Wright's analysis of Sesko here.

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season

From next season, Sky Sports' Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.

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