Manchester United have reportedly identified RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Šeško as their leading striker target this summer after being forced into an early stage of negotiations.
It’s no secret that United are looking for a new No. 9. Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee scored a grand total of seven Premier League goals between them last season, fewer than West Ham United midfielder Tomáš Souček. That search has spread from Randal Kolo Muani to Jamie Vardy, with various swap deals and creative loans put forward.
It was reported earlier this week that the club had narrowed down their list of targets to Šeško and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. Now The Athletic claim that this shortlist has been whittled down even further to include just the Slovenian striker.
United are said to have made “informal contact” with RB Leipzig regarding a move for their 22-year-old striker. The Red Devils were previously thought to be unconvinced by Šeško who still needed “significant development” and did not justify Leipzig’s demands of over €75 million (£65.2 million, $88.2 million).
That stance has reportedly shifted thanks to the developments surrounding Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker’s supposed desire to leave St. James’s Park prompted Newcastle to target Šeško. With a deal for the towering striker under threat, United were forced to “accelerate” negotiations.
The view from Tyneside is pessimistic. The Daily Mail claim that Newcastle consider Šeško “likely” to join Manchester United, forcing the Magpies to draw up more alternative transfer plans. The club’s search for a new striker has already seen Liam Delap, João Pedro, Hugo Ekitiké and Yoane Wissa drawn up and hastily crossed out. Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz is thought to be the latest to come on Newcastle’s indiscriminate radar.
Newcastle may be best advised targeting the striker United have surprisingly overlooked. New Red Devils recruit Bryan Mbeumo has been justifiably full of praise for Ollie Watkins, his former Brentford teammate, who has repeatedly stacked up better numbers than Šeško despite playing in a demonstrably more difficult league. Over the past two seasons, Watkins has amassed 56 Premier League goal contributions compared to the 34 Šeško can boast in the Bundesliga.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Identify ‘Priority’ Striker Target, Negotiations ‘Accelerated’.