Manchester United are battling with Newcastle to sign the RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. Newcastle had appeared to be within touching distance of a deal for the 22-year-old but Manchester United made a rival bid on Tuesday and believe the player would prefer a move to Old Trafford.
Newcastle submitted a second offer for Sesko of £69.7m, which with add-ons could rise to almost £75m, after receiving encouragement that he was potentially open to a transfer to Tyneside. But cautious optimism at St James’ Park regarding an agreement was caveated by Manchester United’s interest.
Manchester United’s bid is of a guaranteed £65.2m, rising to a possible £73.8m. They have been pursuing a striker all summer and missed out on targets including Viktor Gyökeres, Hugo Ekitiké and Liam Delap.
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Manchester United have spent more than £130m on Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha this summer and previous indications have been that they would need to sell at least one of Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia if they were to spend big again.
Newcastle were also keen on Ekitiké and Delap and it would be another significant transfer blow for them if Sesko were to end up at Old Trafford. With Eddie Howe’s first-choice centre-forward Alexander Isak having made plain his desire to leave, ideally for Liverpool, Newcastle are in the market for two forwards. Negotiations with Brentford are ongoing regarding Yoane Wissa, and Howe is also a longstanding admirer of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Newcastle’s negotiations with Leipzig have been led by the director and minority owner Jamie Reuben, who has stepped in to assist Howe’s nephew Andy Howe with recruitment in the absence of a sporting director.
Isak is scheduled for talks with Howe this week but chances of a real rapprochement look slender. After the Swede missed Newcastle’s tour of Singapore and South Korea citing a minor thigh problem apparently undetectable on scans and took the unilateral decision to train alone at his former club Real Sociedad, it is hard to envisage Isak playing for the club again. Liverpool’s £110m bid for him was rejected last week.
Howe said before leaving Seoul that he had known nothing of Isak’s trip to Spain and warned that players exhibiting “poor behaviour” would not be permitted to train with his first team. Newcastle’s manager described the situation as “far from ideal”.
A series of potential signings, also including João Pedro and James Trafford, have turned down Newcastle but Howe, who is preparing for a Champions League campaign, has signed the Sweden winger Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £55m and the goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on loan from Southampton.
Ramsdale’s arrival appears to have opened the door for Martin Dubravka to depart, with the Slovakia goalkeeper in advanced talks over a move to Burnley.
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Howe is also in the market for a right-sided centre-half and, should funds be released by Isak departing, Newcastle could revive a longstanding interest in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi.
With Newcastle not thought to be Guéhi’s first-choice destination a deal could be difficult and Marseille’s Argentinian centre-half Leonardo Balerdi remains high on Howe’s shortlist. Newcastle have made repeated attempts to recruit the defender Giorgio Scalvini from Atalanta but have been persistently rebuffed.
Guéhi is understood to be willing to stay at Selhurst Park and see out his contract, which expires next summer. Liverpool are believed to be his preferred option, although they are reluctant to pay Palace’s £40m valuation. Palace rejected an offer worth up to £70m from Tottenham in January and are facing the possibility of the England international leaving on a free transfer.