Ten Hag could make ‘stupid’ move to sign £55m striker – GiveMeSport

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could make a ‘stupid’ move for Red Bull Salzburg frontman Benjamin Sesko even if it means having to ‘pay a premium’ to land him at Old Trafford, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Red Devils parted with more than £200million during the summer, but the Dutchman will be presented with further opportunities to strengthen his options in January and at the end of the campaign.

What’s the latest news involving Sesko?

According to The Telegraph, Manchester United are preparing for life without Cristiano Ronaldo and Sesko is high on a list of long-term targets.

The report suggests welcoming a new striker to Old Trafford is the next stage of the rebuild under ten Hag, who took over as the club’s boss following the conclusion of last season, and the 19-year-old has been on their radar since breaking into Salzburg’s first team.

But the Red Devils will find it difficult to strike a deal to sign Sesko, a 15-cap Slovenia international, in the coming months.

That is because he is due to join RB Leizpig, Salzburg’s sister club, in a £55million transfer at the end of the season after an agreement was reached in August.

Manchester United looked to acquire Sesko during the summer transfer window, with football director John Murtough meeting his agent after a scouting mission, but he signed on the dotted line at Leipzig instead.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

What has Dean Jones said about Sesko?

Jones believes the deal which is due to take Sesko to Leipzig will not stop Manchester United in their tracks.

The journalist understands the Red Devils may be willing to pay over the odds in order to reach an agreement.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “We mentioned this in the list of strikers that they might go for in the new year.

“It sounds stupid because he’s already making a transfer, but United aren’t really deterred by that.

“They think that he’s worth still keeping an eye on. Even if they had to pay a premium for him, it might be worth it.”

Would Sesko be a good signing for Manchester United?

It may be difficult for Manchester United to sign Sesko in the coming months, but he has already scored six goals and registered a further three assists this season, so he is a serious threat in the final third of the pitch.

The teenager finds the back of the net every 216 minutes in the Austrian Bundesliga and averages 2.3 shots per game.

Sesko was also prolific with former side FC Liefering, getting his name on the scoresheet 22 times in 44 outings.

With fellow attackers Marcus Rashford and Ronaldo approaching the final six months of their respective contracts, although there is an option to extend both agreements by a year, ten Hag needs to look to the future and Sesko would be an exciting acquisition.

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