Earlier this week, Benjamin Sesko committed his future to RB Leipzig, putting an end to those Manchester United rumours in the process.
But while one door closes for one Rasmus Hojlund-like centre-forward, has another opened?
Sesko has been likened to Manchester United‘s deadly Dane due to his pace, his strength and his thumping finishing skills, not to mention his youth and potential. Sesko scored 18 goals last term to Hojlund’s 16, finding the net in each of his final seven Bundesliga matches of 2023/24.
“His movement, his running, outstanding. He’s got incredible ‘power running’; the way he drives into different positions and pulls people apart is extremely impressive,” European football expert David Cartlidge told the On the Continent podcast.
“(Sesko’s role at Leipzig is) not too different to I think what Rasmus Hojlund is doing at Man United.
“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…”
But with the silky Slovenian staying put for the time being – rebuffing Man United’s advances for the second summer in a row – the Red Devils appear to be shifting their focus to another baby-faced, German-based assassin with plenty of Hojlund-like qualities.
Manchester United want Maximilian Beier to support Rasmus Hojlund
Maximilian Beier, one of the Bundeliga’s breakout talents, was a revelation at Hoffenheim. So much so that a place in Germany’s Euro 2024 squad felt very much well-deserved.
And if Beier’s impact off the bench during last week’s 0-0 friendly draw with Ukraine is anything to go by, Beier could be the ‘joker’ in Julan Nagelsmann’s pack.
The blonde bomber rattled the bar after some razor-sharp movement opened up a yard of space, all the while showcasing the same horsepower, physicality and ball-carrying prowess that made Hojlund such a hit at Old Trafford in his debut season.
According to Sport BILD via Sport Witness, there is interest from Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. But Manchester United have made the first move, launching an enquiry to find out what it would take to bring Beier to Old Trafford.
Man United have been informed by Hoffenheim of a £27.5 million release clause. That clause – like the one in Sesko’s own contract – is ‘active’, meaning it changes over time. Sport BILD add that Beier would be available for £2 million less next summer.
Maximilian Beier available for less than £30m
If Man United feel that 21-year-old Beier is the right man to rival Rasmus, surely the prospect of knocking £2 million off the price-tag would not be enough to encourage the Red Devils to wait, particularly with there being a very real prospect that he could end up down the road at Liverpool instead a la Cody Gakpo.
“On the pitch he is an animal. And, off the pitch, he is a shy boy,” Hoffenheim coach Pellegrino Matarazzo tells Sports Illustrated, Beier scoring the same number of goals last season (16) as Hojlund did. “This balancing act makes him so friendly, in our team and in the entire environment.
“(The Germany call-up) is definitely deserved because he’s so effective for us on the pitch.
“(He has had) his ups and downs. These phases that every player has in their development. (But the dips in form) were very short, and then quickly rose explosively again.
“That just speaks for the boy.”