Manchester United and Newcastle in Fierce Battle for Benjamin Šeško

Manchester United believe Benjamin Šeško wants to join them, but Newcastle’s higher bid makes the race for the RB Leipzig striker very competitive as per reports.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Both Manchester United and Newcastle have offered big money to sign 22-year-old Benjamin Šeško. United’s offer is about £73 million (€85 million) including performance-related add-ons according to a previous update, while Newcastle have bid €90 million in total. Despite this, United believe Šeško prefers Old Trafford. However, they need RB Leipzig to accept the offer first, and two parties are still negotiating.

THE FIGHT FOR A TOP STRIKER

United’s offers come after Marcus Rashford joined Barcelona on loan, which freed up funds for Šeško. Manager Rúben Amorim wants to improve the team’s attack and has already signed Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo for a combined total of £128.5 million this summer as confirmed by recent reports. Šeško scored 21 goals and provided 6 assists in 45 matches across all competitions last season. United are trying to qualify for the Champions League after a poor last season where they finished outside the top four, while Newcastle, who finished 5th, are willing to spend more to sign the forward.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Negotiations are expected to speed up as both clubs want to finalize a deal before the new season. United are under more pressure as they open their Premier League campaign against Arsenal next weekend as they hope for significant improvements. Meanwhile, Leipzig need to find a replacement for Šeško if he leaves.