Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Man Utd, Newcastle scouts watch on as £50m striker target nets, with PL rivals poised for bidding war

Benjamin Sesko of Red Bull Salzburg

Manchester United and Newcastle reportedly sent scouts to watch striker target Benjamin Sesko on Sunday, with the Premier League duo plotting a summer move.

The 19-year-old, who plays for RB Salzburg, scored in a 2-0 away victory over Sturm Graz – who are the Austrian club’s closest rivals for the league title.

Man Utd and Newcastle aren’t the only teams interested in Sesko, though, so there could potentially be a bidding war for his services in the coming months.

This is according to 90Min, who claim that scouts from the Premier League rivals have been keeping a close eye on the Slovenia international.

A towering centre-forward standing at 6ft4, Sesko is a handful for any defender.

This season, the youngster has scored 14 goals in 26 league appearances, as well as making three assists. This gives him an impressive average of 0.65 goal contributions per game.

Therefore, it’s no real surprise to see multiple clubs chasing Sesko’s signature. As noted by TEAMtalk, Chelsea have also registered an interest in him in the past. 

With that in mind, RB Salzburg could reportedly demand up to £50m for him this summer.

READ MORE: Newcastle accelerate Man Utd raid for player who’s in his prime, as Ten Hag learns cost of signing monstrous upgrade

Man Utd, Newcastle eyeing striker signings

It’s no secret Erik ten Hag is looking for a new centre-forward ahead of next season. Marcus Rashford has been in unbelievable form this term – netting 28 goals across all competitions – but he could certainly do with some support.

Indeed, Man Utd have been heavily linked with moves for big names such as Napoli centre-forward and Tottenham record scorer Harry Kane recently.

However, with Osimhen now more likely to join Bayern Munich, the Red Devils could be out of that race.

There is also concern that negotiating a fee for Kane with Daniel Levy could be difficult. As a result, they could end up signing neither of their top two targets.

Rasmus Hojlund, Goncalo Ramos, Randal Kolo Muani and Mohammed Kudus are touted to be alternative options. But, as per 90Min’s recent report, Sesko can now be added to that list.

As for Newcastle, they are absolutely flying under Eddie Howe this season. The Magpies currently sit in third place in the table and look set to finish in the top four.

Strikers Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak have been key to Newcastle’s success. However, with the Tynesiders set to qualify for the Champions League, another quality centre-forward certainly wouldn’t go amiss.

Moreover, considering Sesko is still a youngster, he could prove to be an excellent long term investment for Man Utd or Newcastle.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top for his signature.

READ MORE: Man Utd to shatter Liverpool, Tottenham plans as Ten Hag is set achievable fee to land tigerish Prem midfielder