Transfer news, done deals, analysis & gossip
Report: Everton open talks with Man City over Jack Grealish loan
Report: Benjamin Sesko 'wants' Man Utd with talks 'closing in'
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My Club My Passion - tell us why you love your team
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NUFC could do a lot worse than taking a punt on Hojlund. Howe has excellent man management skills and he just needs a bit of belief and a fresh start. Someone like Anthony Gordon would thrive with him and he'd be good value at £25m.
Alastair, Darlington
Constantin Eckner
German football writer on The Football News Show
Benjamin Sesko is convinced of his abilities and has forced this move to the Premier League.
If he can score 15 or 20 goals next season, he has already proven some of the doubters wrong.
Constantin Eckner
German football writer on The Football News Show
If Eddie Howe doesn't change his Newcastle system, then Benjamin Sesko would share playing time with Alexander Isak.
Someone like Sesko with his price tag and confidence, he doesn't want to be a back-up solution.
BBC Sport
We're live in the BBC studio with in-depth analysis on the Benjamin Sesko saga.
Manchester United and Newcastle United fans you'll want to tune into this.
Hugh Ferris is joined by Nesta McGregor and German football expert Constantin Eckner.
Get watching by clicking the play icon at the top of this page!
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On Franks point about safe bets. Newcastle have come above Man U twice in the Prem era, last two seasons. For me the safer bet is the much bigger club. If this was picking between Man U and Arsenal or Liverpool maybe, but Newcastle are far from risk free!
James, Manchester
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Everyone singing Howe's praises..... Amorim is younger than Howe and has won 3 times the trophies. Sesko knows that Man United have a higher ceiling than Newcastle and can only get better.
Nick, Sheffield
Image source, Getty ImagesNewcastle United's former club scout Paul Montgomery has criticised what he perceives as a lack of urgency and assertiveness in the transfer market this summer.
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Montgomery queried the club's ability to sell the project to their top targets in the way that other ambitious sides seem able to do.
"I would question Newcastle's lack of aggression in the transfer market," he said. "In the modern day, you have to be aggressive when you want to sign a player. When you identify a player and he's your man, then you have to get to him, get to his face, sit with him and tell him he's the best thing since sliced bread.
"Or alternatively, get him on a private jet, get him to that stadium and show him the videos of the fans when Newcastle won the cup to show the passion of the club. That's what sells the club, and to do that, you have to be aggressive. And sadly, I just don't see that with Newcastle at the moment.
"They messed up signing young James Trafford for over a year when they could have easily finalised something. And now you have a situation whereby Newcastle could lose arguably one of the best strikers in Europe, if not the world.
"That is really disheartening for the fans who believed that they were going to go places."
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The pitch for Newcastle: "Isak had similar stats as you, at the same age. Due to the great coaches here, after only 3 years, he's one of the best strikers in the world. Oh yeah, and Champions League football and we wont be in a relegation battle."
Aaron, Hull
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Sesko's decision has to be about risk. Newcastle are a safer bet, but maybe less to gain. Utd are a massive club, but a lot of players have hit the rocks there.
Frank
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester United have already spent £133.5m on forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo this summer - signing Benjamin Sesko would take that total up to over £200m.
How many goals did they score last season?
The trio scored 48 league goals between them last season. United scored 44 goals in the Premier League last term.
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@Simon from Manchester, it’s well known Sesko would’ve been the Isak replacement. But nonetheless, there’s a video where Sesko says he supported Man United growing up, that’s all that needs to be said there…question is why didn’t Newcastle's recruitment team realise that? We’ve been used to drum up Man Utd interest.
Ollie, Newcastle
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The pitch for Utd: "You're 22 and you've got the opportunity to get one of the biggest clubs in the world back to the top, you do that you'll be a worldwide superstar and a legend of the club!" Can Newcastle offer the same?
Simon, Hull
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester United appointed Christopher Vivell as the club's director of recruitment in 2024.
Vivell previously worked as a scout at RB Salzburg before joining RB Leipzig as their technical director.
Vivell crossed paths with Benjamin Sesko at both Leipzig and Salzburg, and has made no secret of his admiration for the 22 year-old in the past.
"Benjamin Sesko is among the game’s top young talents and has enormous potential to become a top player." Vivell told the Bundesliga webiste., external
"Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who despite his 1.95m (6'4") height is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile."
It was only last week that Simon Stone reported that Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins were United's top two striker targets, before signalling that Sesko was the number one choice.
How much of a say did Vivell have in that decision?
And for BBC balance, here's a picture to keep my Newcastle-supporting friends happy:
Image source, Getty Images
Joe Rindl
BBC Sport
You asked for it. Just need some full-backs...
Image source, Getty ImagesSlovenian football journalist Izidor Kordic says Benjamin Sesko has a "10 out of 10" mentality and is "perfect for the Premier League".
"He has the potential to be as influential for Manchester United as [Erling] Haaland is for Manchester City," Kordic told BBC Radio Manchester's Total Sport.
"He's the biggest footballer we've ever had in Slovenia but the best thing about him is the best is yet to come. We can only be happy about his future.
"The problem for United is they have Rasmus Hojund at the moment who is the same age as Sesko and was also put in the fire when he came a few years ago. It will be big pressure for Sesko but I think, besides his athleticism and fantastic football skills, his character and mentality is 10 out of 10.
"This is something that makes a difference at the highest level. He is ready to be the number one striker at Man Utd or at Newcastle.
"I would say United is his preference because of the stature of the club.
"I think he is made for the Premier League. I don't know if this season he would score 20 or 25 goals - probably more about 10, 12, 15 - because he is not the finished article yet.
"But I think his athleticism and his heading of the ball, build-up play and speed makes him perfect for the Premier League."
It's been all Manchester United and Benjamin Sesko this morning as far as this live page is concerned.
Here's a recap of the top stories we have looked at today...
We will continue to bring all the latest on this fast-moving story right here, so hang around to not miss a thing!
Joe Rindl
BBC Sport
I mean, for 500 thumbs up I might load up the BBC team XI graphic generator...
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I think at this point you could make an XI of players who have rejected Newcastle this window that would actually beat the current Newcastle first team....
Dan, Bournemouth
Simon Stone
BBC Sport chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester United sources have previously outlined how it is possible for them to reach an agreement on Benjamin Sesko with RB Leipzig despite a number of recent financial cost-cutting measures by the club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose Ineos Group bought a 27.7% stake in United in February 2024, said earlier this year that there was the potential for the club to go bust by Christmas without massive cost-cutting measures.
But payment arrangements for the deals for Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo from Wolves and Brentford this summer, which total £130m, have been arranged in a favourable way.
In addition, the entirety of Marcus Rashford's £325,000-a-week salary is being covered by his loan move to Barcelona and Manchester United received £5m from Chelsea after the Blues pulled out of a deal to sign Jadon Sancho.
Manchester United have also received more than £15m in payments as part of sell-on clauses involving Anthony Elanga, Alvaro Carreras and Maxi Oyedele.
