Arsenal’s impending signing of Viktor Gyokeres has reopened the transfer race for another long-term Manchester United target.
Manchester United are set to kick off the United States part of their pre-season tour this weekend, but the squad is still lacking in several areas that Ruben Amorim wants improved.
At the start of the window, it was clear that the squad needed attacking reinforcements as a lack of goals was a primary contributor to the team’s record-low Premier League finish.
The Reds have started making progress on rectifying this issue with the signings of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, but their hunt for a new striker has so far been fruitless.
A number of rumoured targets have come and gone, like Liam Delap, who moved from Ipswich to Chelsea, and Viktor Gyokeres, who is on the cusp of moving from Sporting CP to Arsenal.
While fans are frustrated to miss out on these striker targets, Arsenal’s signing of Gyokeres has reportedly opened up a new transfer opportunity for United, with a “key executive” playing an important role
Vivell key in potential Šeško move
In an interview with CaughtOffside, Bundsliga journalist Christian Falk has revealed that Arsenal’s decision to sign Gyokeres has reopened the transfer race for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško and that United are one of the potential suitors.
Šeško fits the profile of striker that United are looking to sign, and the club have been linked to many players for that reason alone. However, Falk has said in this case, there is a greater connection between the two parties, United’s Director of Recruitment, Christopher Vivell.
On Vivell, Falk said, “He’s previously worked for RB Leipzig, and he’s now supporting the potential deal. Vivell’s also been watching the situation develop since April. He was at the match between Leipzig and Wolfsburg to scout Šeško again.”
Vivell was an instrumental part of the Red Bull Sports Group from between 2015 and 2022 and oversaw the recruitment of Šeško in 2019 from Slovenia. Since joining United last summer, Vivell has already utilised his past networks to bring in players for United, like with the signing of Sekou Kone from Malian club Guiders FC after building strong connections to Malian football during his time with Red Bull.
Šeško transfer risk
While it may seem like a great opportunity to utilise Vivell’s connections to try and bring in a talented young striker, the move does have some risks. United are at the point where they have to sell some players to bring new ones in, and with Falk stating that Leipzig’s valuation of Šeško is around £60.6 million, they may need to move on numerous players to fund this deal.
Šeško is only 22 years old and has only played two seasons in a top-five rated league. The Slovenian striker has performed well in the Bundesliga, registering 34 goal involvements in 64 appearances, but there have been a number of strikers who have failed to translate from the German League to the English one. One such player is Chelsea and Tottenham forward Timo Werner, who also moved from Leipzig.
If Šeško doesn’t hit the ground running, then United will be stuck with two young strikers who aren’t ready to lead the line. Rasmus Hojlund joined the club in 2023 with a lot of potential, but the pressure of prematurely being United’s main striker has made his development regress.
The two other forwards United have signed this window are both slightly older and have Premier League experience. Due to the low League finish last season, United aren’t in a position where they can gamble on big money players, and so far this window have prioritised those who are tried and tested.
While Šeško is undoubtedly a promising talent, United have already seen the impact that putting too much pressure on untested young players too soon can have, and because of this may opt for a more proven option like Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
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