It is no secret that Manchester United want a striker to ease the pressure on Rasmus Hojlund this summer.
But is one of the centre-forwards on the Red Devils’ radar simply too similar to the man currently leading the line at the Premier League giants?
On paper, the £55 million release clause in the contract of a 20-year-old frontman who ended the 2023/24 season with 18 goals in all competitions feels like a bargain. Especially considering that he went one further than Rasmus Hojlund did when becoming the youngest Premier League player ever to score in six successive top-flight games.
Benjamin Sesko, finding the net against as RB Leipzig drew 2-2 with Eintracht Frankfurt on the final day, hit the target for the seventh straight Bundesliga fixture.
HITC understands that Manchester United, who showed an interest before Sesko signed for Leipzig from Red Bull sister club Salzburg in 2022, remain keen on the speedy Slovenia international. Fabrizio Romano also insists that, even after receiving a ‘huge financial proposal’ from the Saudi Pro League, Sesko has no interest whatsoever in departing for the Middle East, a boost to his many Europe-based suitors.
Manchester United considering Benjamin Sesko
“Benjamin Sesko has received already two bids from Saudi Pro League clubs,” Romano writes on X.
“Understand, despite huge financial proposals, Sesko has absolutely NO plans to go to Saudi. Leipzig offered him new deal as revealed, while Premier League clubs keep pushing.”
That, perhaps, is to be expected after the sort of spring that Sesko has enjoyed. But with HITC having also been informed that Man United would prefer to bring in a more experienced attacker – wary maybe of relying on a pair of youngsters in the final third – the logic of signing two forwards with similar skillsets as well as similar ages also raises more questions than it does answers.
“He was phenomenal. He was really phenomenal,” European football expert David Cartlidge told the On the Continent podcast after Sesko ran Real Madrid ragged in the Champions League last-16.
“If you look at his whole game against Real Madrid, those chances were (created) through him. His movement, his running, was outstanding. He’s got incredible ‘power running’, the way he drives into different positions and pulls people apart is extremely impressive.”
Maybe too similar to Rasmus Hojlund?
“(Sesko’s role at Leipzig is) not too different to I think what Rasmus Hojlund is doing at Man United,” Cartlidge adds.
“There is a lot of similarities I see between those two in terms of their movement, their awareness in and around the penalty area and how they link up with midfield. How they realise their role is not just about poaching, it’s about bringing the midfield into the game.
“I was really impressed with Sesko regardless of (him) not finishing chances.”
If United opt for a different sort of number nine, a more experienced one too, do not be surprised to see them go for a Serhou Guirassy or perhaps an Ivan Toney.