Manchester United’s £73 million bid for Benjamin Šeško could take Rúben Amorim’s summer spending to above £200 million.
Manchester United have submitted their first formal bid for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško, as Rúben Amorim continues his search for a new centre-forward.
The offer to the Bundesliga side is believed to be worth around £65 million, with an additional £9 million in potential add-ons. Šeško is understood to be United’s top striker target this summer.
However, Premier League rivals Newcastle are also firmly in the race, having tabled a £78 million bid for the 22-year-old Slovenian on Monday evening.
Both clubs are thought to have reached initial agreements on personal terms with the player, but neither have yet agreed a deal with Leipzig.
Rashford’s loan leading to Šeško bid
Late last month, it was confirmed that Academy graduate and exiled winger Marcus Rashford had left Barcelona on loan for the coming campaign.
The La Liga club are taking on his entire salary until the end of June, and also have the option to make the move permanent for a £30 million package at the end of the season.
According to United correspondent Andy Mitten, it’s Rashford’s loan that has allowed United to bid for Šeško, despite a previously reported need for further sales before any further incomings happened.
As per Mitten’s report, United being able to afford the £73 million bid is down to Rashford’s exit significantly improving their cash outlay and profit and sustainability rules (PSR) position due to not having to pay £15 million in wages over the next season.
Also, with United receiving almost £20 million in sell-on fees from Anthony Elanga’s transfer to Newcastle, Alvaro Careras’ move to Real Madrid, and Maxi Oyedele signing for Strasbourg.
United know their next move after Šeško
Should United secure Šeško as their fourth summer signing, following Matheus Cunha, Diego Leon, and Bryan Mbeumo, they will need to sanction further sales to secure signings, but they know where they want to head next.
As per many reports, United next want to bring in a defensive midfielder with an intense style, who is also capable of playing well with the ball at their feet.
Although specific targets are yet to be revealed in the media, Amorim has been quoted many times as saying he wants more energy in the middle of his formation.
A goalkeeper has also been touted as a possible option, but it’s thought that this would only happen if current second choice Altay Bayındır were to leave the club.
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