Manchester United Rival Newcastle With Sesko Bid And Believe He Prefers Old Trafford

Manchester United are battling pinch Newcastle to motion nan RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. Newcastle had appeared to beryllium wrong rubbing region of a woody for nan 22-year-old but Manchester United made a rival bid connected Tuesday and judge nan subordinate would for illustration a move to Old Trafford.

Newcastle submitted a 2nd connection for Sesko of £69.7m, which pinch add-ons could emergence to almost £75m, aft receiving encouragement that he was perchance unfastened to a transportation to Tyneside. But cautious optimism astatine St James’ Park regarding an statement was caveated by Manchester United’s interest.

Manchester United’s bid is of a guaranteed £65.2m, rising to a imaginable £73.8m. They person been pursuing a striker each summertime and missed retired connected targets including Viktor Gyökeres, Hugo Ekitiké and Liam Delap.

Manchester United person spent much than £130m connected Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha this summertime and erstwhile indications person been that they would request to waste astatine slightest 1 of Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia if they were to walk large again.

Newcastle were besides keen connected Ekitiké and Delap and it would beryllium different important transportation rustle for them if Sesko were to extremity up astatine Old Trafford. With Eddie Howe’s first-choice centre-forward Alexander Isak having made plain his desire to leave, ideally for Liverpool, Newcastle are successful nan marketplace for 2 forwards. Negotiations pinch Brentford are ongoing regarding Yoane Wissa, and Howe is besides a longstanding admirer of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Newcastle’s negotiations pinch Leipzig person been led by nan head and number proprietor Jamie Reuben, who has stepped successful to assistance Howe’s nephew Andy Howe pinch recruitment successful nan absence of a sporting director.

Isak is scheduled for talks pinch Howe this week but chances of a existent rapprochement look slender. After nan Swede missed Newcastle’s circuit of Singapore and South Korea citing a insignificant thigh problem apparently undetectable connected scans and took nan unilateral determination to train unsocial astatine his erstwhile nine Real Sociedad, it is difficult to envisage Isak playing for nan nine again. Liverpool’s £110m bid for him was rejected past week.

Howe said earlier leaving Seoul that he had known thing of Isak’s travel to Spain and warned that players exhibiting “poor behaviour” would not beryllium permitted to train pinch his first team. Newcastle’s head described nan business arsenic “far from ideal”.

A bid of imaginable signings, besides including João Pedro and James Trafford, person turned down Newcastle but Howe, who is preparing for a Champions League campaign, has signed nan Sweden winger Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £55m and nan goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale connected indebtedness from Southampton.

Ramsdale’s presence appears to person opened nan doorway for Martin Dubravka to depart, pinch nan Slovakia goalkeeper successful precocious talks complete a move to Burnley.

Howe is besides successful nan marketplace for a right-sided centre-half and, should costs beryllium released by Isak departing, Newcastle could revive a longstanding liking successful Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi.

Marc Guéhi successful action for Crystal Palace against Mainz successful a pre-season friendly. Photograph: Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/Shutterstock

With Newcastle not thought to beryllium Guéhi’s first-choice destination a woody could beryllium difficult and Marseille’s Argentinian centre-half Leonardo Balerdi remains precocious connected Howe’s shortlist. Newcastle person made repeated attempts to enlistee nan defender Giorgio Scalvini from Atalanta but person been persistently rebuffed.

Guéhi is understood to beryllium consenting to enactment astatine Selhurst Park and spot retired his contract, which expires adjacent summer. Liverpool are believed to beryllium his preferred option, though they are reluctant to salary Palace’s £40m valuation. Palace rejected an connection worthy up to £70m from Tottenham successful January and are facing nan anticipation of nan England world leaving connected a free transfer.