Man United makes bid for Benjamin Sesko and puts Alexander Isak to Liverpool in doubt
Per The Athletic, Man United has bid $86.5 million + $11.5 million in add-ons for the 22-year-old striker. That reflects its internal valuation of the forward.
RB Leipzig is yet to respond. Newcastle had earlier made a second Sesko offer of its own, worth slightly more both overall and in guaranteed funds, as it assessess potential Alexander Isak replacements amid interest from Liverpool.
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It had been reported by the Daily Mail that Sesko was being viewed by Newcastle as a replacement for Isak, and that completion of a deal may have cleared the way for Liverpool to land the Swede with an increased bid. But after a brutal summer of missing out on targets, this threatens to be another setback for the Magpies.
Man United believes that Sesko favors a move to Old Trafford over St James' Park. That could significantly weaken Newcastle's position as the pair go head to head.
And this time, Liverpool stands to miss out as a result of Newcastle's struggles. Failure to land Sesko, with the clock ticking down until the start of the season, would make it even more complicated to sanction a departure for Isak.
Nothing is decided yet, with Man United's proposal notably valued slightly below Newcastle's latest bid. It is more in line with the Magpies' first proposal, which was ultimately knocked back by RB Leipzig.
Newcastle's first offer included $86.5 million up front, the same amount now being offered by Man United. However, Ruben Amorim's side has doubled the potential add-ons on offer from $5.75 million to $11.5 million.
The total package on offer from Man United is therefore $98 million. Newcastle's most recent proposal is worth more like $104 million.
But signs are ominous on Tyneside, where fans will fear a familiar story is playing out. It already lost out on Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool earlier in the window, while Man United won the race for both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Liverpool's capture of Ekitike means that its front line looks in reasonably good shape. It has already broken its transfer record once this summer to bring in Florian Wirtz.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah signed a new two-year deal toward the end of last season, and Cody Gakpo bagged a brace in the latest friendly outing. Rio Ngumoha has also showed incredible promise in preseason.
It is therefore considered unlikely that Liverpool will seek an alternative if a move for Isak does not materialize. The Swede is an exceptional market opportunity, which is why the Reds are pursuing him.
Elsewhere, Liverpool is interested in a new center-back. It may yet go head to head with Newcastle for Marc Guehi.
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