Man Utd Zero In On Dream Striker as Club's 'Asking Price' Emerges

Manchester United have allegedly pinpointed RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško as their primary forward acquisition target for the upcoming summer window following an accelerated negotiation process.

United's need for a new striker is well-documented. Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee managed just seven Premier League strikes combined last campaign, a tally surpassed by West Ham United's Tomáš Souček alone. Their pursuit has ranged from Randal Kolo Muani to Jamie Vardy, with numerous exchange proposals and inventive loan arrangements being considered.

Earlier reports this week suggested the club had condensed their target list to Šeško and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins. However, The Athletic now reports that this selection has been further reduced to focus solely on the Slovenian forward.

United have allegedly established "preliminary discussions" with RB Leipzig concerning a potential transfer for their 22-year-old attacker. The Manchester club was previously believed to harbor doubts about Šeško, feeling he required "substantial improvement" and didn't warrant Leipzig's asking price exceeding €75 million (£65.2 million, $88.2 million).

This position has apparently changed due to developments involving Alexander Isak. The Swedish forward's alleged intention to depart St. James's Park led Newcastle to pursue Šeško. With a potential deal for the tall striker at risk, United were compelled to "expedite" their discussions.

The outlook from Newcastle appears gloomy. The Daily Mail suggests that Newcastle view Šeško as "probable" to sign with Manchester United, compelling the Magpies to formulate additional transfer contingencies. The club's striker hunt has already seen Liam Delap, João Pedro, Hugo Ekitiké and Yoane Wissa considered and quickly dismissed. Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz is reportedly the latest addition to Newcastle's broad search.

Newcastle might be wise to pursue the striker United have unexpectedly disregarded. New Red Devils signing Bryan Mbeumo has rightfully praised Ollie Watkins, his former Brentford colleague, who has consistently produced superior statistics to Šeško despite competing in a notably tougher division. Across the previous two seasons, Watkins has accumulated 56 Premier League goal contributions versus the 34 Šeško has recorded in the Bundesliga.