Rio Ferdinand has changed his mind on Benjamin Šeško as Manchester United close in on signing the RB Leipzig striker for Rúben Amorim.
Manchester United are nearing an agreement to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško, as Rúben Amorim continues to target a new centre-forward.
The bid on the table is worth £65 million, with an additional £9 million in performance-related add-ons, as United push to land their number one striker target.
Newcastle were also in contention, but after United struck a personal terms agreement with the 22-year-old Slovenian, it became evident he favours a move to Old Trafford.
Talks between United and Leipzig are progressing, with a full agreement expected in the coming days.
Ferdinand excited about Šeško transfer
Previously, United legend Rio Ferdinand expressed doubt surrounding Šeško’s, saying he was ‘worried’ that he’s a riskier signing than Ollie Watkins. However, speaking on his YouTube channel, he has explained that the 22-year-old can live up to the hype if given time.
“Wow. Huge money, £70m being spent,” Ferdinand said. “Listen, he’s a young guy, been at Leipzig, playing, scoring goals. Last season, he played 45 games and scored 21 goals, six assists, so the guy knows where the back of the net is. That’s almost one goal every two games.
“Yes, it’s a different league, it’s the Bundesliga, but he does play international football as well, he scores in international football, and he knows where the net is.
“A lot of people are going to go and suggest, ‘Oh, has he got the experience?’, and I was one of those guys in that camp going, ‘Do you know what? Where is the player that can actually show the young, inexperienced strikers that we have at the club how to do things? In times of need, who do they look to?”
“He’s going to have to step up and be that guy. Can he do it? Yes, he can do it; he’s got huge potential.
“But one of the things, as we’ve seen in recent years, our strikers, when they come in the door here, you’re not afforded a lot of time, there ain’t a great amount of patience, and you’ve got to hit the ground running.”
Why has Ferdinand changed his mind on Šeško?
Continuing, Ferdinand explained that he feels one reason why Šeško’s signing is not as much of a worry as he initially feared is because, no matter what, he is likely to hand a “huge improvement” to United’s goalscoring abilities alongside Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
“What I would say is Manchester United scored 44 goals last season,” Ferdinand added. “They’ve now invested in three strikers at the top of the pitch that have between them 48 goals last season, so that’s four more than the whole Manchester United squad got last year, so that’s a huge improvement in that sense.
“Two of those guys have played in the Premier League and scored goals here. Sesko, now, has to go and transform his form, his goals, his menacing play, at times, into the Premier League, and that’s the big question.
“What I would say is not only are the goals a step up, but I would say the mobility in the front areas now is something, as a defender, I’m looking at no,w and I’m thinking differently about Manchester United’s frontline.
“I’m going to have a physical presence up there and I’m going to have a physical test from all three positions and I’ve got people that can run and move up there, they’re mobile. They’re the things I was asking for over the last couple of years up there so more of that.
“You have to say the recruitment team have absolutely delivered in that department in terms of the mobility, the pace, the power.”
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