Man Utd in talks with agent of £60m Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target

Manchester United will prioritise signing a striker and a goalkeeper for next season and discussions are in place over a potential deal for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko.

The Old Trafford giants made just one first-team addition in the January transfer window as Patrick Dorgu arrived from Lecce to become the first signing of Ruben Amorim’s tenure.

This summer, United’s hierarchy are ready to back Amorim with the funds required to completely overhaul a squad which has, once again, fallen some way short of expectations in the Premier League.

The Red Devils are determined to bolster their attacking options after a desperately poor campaign for both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who have scored a combined total of 15 goals in all competitions.

United are among the favourites to wrap up a deal for Liam Delap, 22, who will be available for a fee of just £30million should Ipswich’s immediate return to the Championship be confirmed.

But the England Under-21 international is one of a host of centre-forwards under consideration as United bosses scour the market for possible solutions to add a new dimension to Amorim’s misfiring attack.

According Manchester Evening News, United have maintained close contact with the agent of Sesko after the Slovenian turned down a move to the Theatre of Dreams back in 2022.

It’s understood United could reach an agreement with RB Leipzig with an offer in the region of £60m for Sesko, but the Red Devils may have to beat off competition from elsewhere in the Premier League if they are to capture the sought-after 21-year-old.

Sesko was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in the winter following a season-ending injury to Gabriel Jesus, but the transfer deadline came and went without the Gunners strengthening up front.

Chelsea and Tottenham have also been credited with a strong interest in Sesko in recent months.

Sesko has been capped 41 times by the Slovenian national team and is widely regarded to be among the most promising young attackers in European football.

The former Red Bull Salzburg man has scored 20 goals in 41 games games for RB Leipzig in all competitions this season, with the club sitting fourth in the Bundesliga table.

His current contract with RB Leipzig runs through to the summer of 2029.

Sesko’s agent Elvis Basanovic refused to be drawn on speculation linking his client with Arsenal in January.

However, Basanovic argued that Sesko would ‘suit many clubs’ in the Premier League given his versatility and unique skillset.

‘I think you should ask Mr [Mikel] Arteta about that. But I think Sesko could suit many clubs because he has different football skills,’ Basanovic said.

‘He can play alone in attack, with two strikers, a little further back, he has height, speed, technical speed.’

Pressed on whether Arsenal had made enquiries, Basanovic replied: ‘I can’t answer that question for you.’

Basanovic insisted Sesko was right to turn down a big-money move last summer, with the youngster keen to ‘develop into a better striker’ before making the step up.

‘Sesko is really shining, I think this is a phase of development,’ he added.

‘I think we have already shown in the past that we are sticking to the development path, that we are not looking at current form.

‘Our decision regarding the next step, the transfer, has never and will not stem from current form, but from who can offer Sesko the best platform for his development.

‘We can see that our decision to stay [at RB Leipzig] was correct. Six months later he is already a better striker than he was last season.

‘What he lacks is experience. We must not forget that he is only 21 years old so we did not want him to go to the Premier League last summer.

‘There were concrete options, but we consciously decided to stay in the Bundesliga to give him time to progress and develop into a better striker.’

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