Man Utd in contact to sign “the new Haaland”

What to do with Rasmus Hojlund? On one hand, the Dane is a proficient younger striker who price Manchester United a sum of £72m in 2023; on the opposite, he flattered to deceive throughout the 2024/25 marketing campaign, wholly unconvincing.

Ruben Amorim took the wheel of a sinking ship when he changed Erik ten Hag final November, however there is not any denying the Portuguese tactician did not get the specified tune out of his Purple Devils troops.

United completed fifteenth within the Premier League and misplaced the Europa League last to Tottenham Hotspur. The entire workforce lacked fluency and confidence, however Hojlund did himself few favours, scoring simply three targets throughout 32 league video games, averaging just one shot per sport, as per Sofascore.

His woes have led to the expectation, or a minimum of anticipation, that he can be offloaded this summer season, and whereas Inter Milan have registered their curiosity this summer season, talks are on standby; Jason Wilcox, technical director at Outdated Trafford, is not sure whether or not he can be signing off the 22-year-old’s departure, who reportedly needs to remain put.

Whereas Hojlund’s future stays up within the air, it is clear that INEOS and Amorim are congruent of their view {that a} new, high-performing centre-forward is required.

Let’s take a look on the newest.

The most recent on Man Utd’s striker search

They began with Liam Delap. Man United had been very a lot among the many golf equipment within the Ipswich City striker after his facet’s relegation from the Premier League, thus unlocking his £30m launch clause.

However it was Chelsea who activated the clause and added him to their ranks.

Nonetheless, United’s signing of Cunha and potential switch for Mbeumo may redefine Amorim’s frontline, and therre are different quantity nines who might be enticed by this resurgence-chasing workforce.

Sadly, it would not seem like that striker can be Viktor Gyokeres, who’s on strike at Sporting Lisbon as he appears to be like to engineer a transfer to Arsenal, which is now getting into the ultimate phases in keeping with Fabrizio Romano.

The Gunners’ shortlist got here down to 2, and so they cannot have each. Subsequently, a door has been opened for United to make a shocking swoop.

In keeping with switch insider Graeme Bailey, Man United are among the many contenders for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who’s valued at €90m (roughly £78m).

It is that substantial price ticket which successfully ended Arsenal’s long-standing curiosity within the Slovenia worldwide, as a substitute pushing forward with the deal for Gyokeres.

It might show to work out simply high-quality for the Purple Devils, although, for Sesko’s camp have made contact with United as they appear to safe the 22-year-old the high-profile switch he craves.

Nonetheless, Wilcox might want to work swiftly if he is to raise the temper on the crimson facet of Manchester, with Bailey confirming Liverpool and Newcastle United are additionally knowledgeable on Sesko’s state of affairs.

Why Man Utd should signal Benjamin Sesko

Sesko can be conscious that signing for Man United this summer season would imply a season with out continental competitors. However then Leipzig did not qualify for Europe final time period, and the Devils have formidable plans that the rangy ahead would assist realise.

Described as “the brand new Haaland” by expertise scout Jacek Kulig, Sesko’s medical nature, his tempo and his physicality all mix to supply similarities to the sport of Manchester Metropolis’s world-class goalscorer.

Sesko won’t be as full as Gyokeres (but), however he is the making of a world-class striker, with analyst Ben Mattinson even saying earlier in 2025 that he has a “superior profile” to the Sweden star.

It won’t seem like that at face worth, with Gyokeres scoring 97 targets and supplying 28 assists throughout 102 matches for Sporting Lisbon, profitable the Liga Portugal in every of his two phrases.

Moreover, the 27-year-old proved his high quality within the Champions League final yr, dispatching a shocking hat-trick towards Manchester Metropolis whereas beneath Amorim’s wing.

However Gyokeres is not any spring hen and has but to compete in certainly one of Europe’s prime 5 divisions. Sesko, nevertheless, is competing in a more durable league, with much less dominance to exert his authority.

Thus, it might be surmised that the Slovenian would produce a lofty tally of his personal, had been he enjoying as Sporting’s quantity 9 in Portugal.

Clearly, passing is not his sturdy swimsuit, however Sesko’s power and motion as a frontman are issues to be admired, having made actual headway throughout the bodily elements of the sport.

He is getting higher and higher, and it is actually intriguing to notice that solely 18 massive possibilities have gone begging throughout his previous two Bundesliga campaigns, having scored 27 targets.

In actual fact, Sesko’s 39-goal, eight-assist return for Leipzig, throughout two seasons, has come over simply 87 matches in all competitions, 62 of which got here from the outset.

With Matheus Cunha and hopefully Bryan Mbeumo too flanking Amorim’s central striker on the Theatre of Goals subsequent season, Sesko would have the skilled, Premier League-proven teammates to bolster him and assist him realise his potential.

And that potential is huge. Who is aware of whether or not Sesko would hit the bottom working – or Gyokeres, for that matter – however Amorim is seeking to flip Outdated Trafford again right into a hothouse for improvement and success, and Sesko might be the proper man to steer the road for a few years to come back.