05 Aug 2025 13:47:09
Reported on Sky Sports:
Man Utd have made a bid worth just under £74m to RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko; Newcastle's second bid was higher - an initial offer of just under £70m plus add-ons; Sesko has been open to both projects - but one source has told Sky Sports News he is leaning towards Man Utd.

1.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 14:34:01
He must have told united that he wants them. I think the club were waiting for that

I'd be very surprised if we don't get him now.

Pinch me, front 3, cunha, Mbuemo and sesko. A very fun season with goals ahead.

2.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 14:40:53
While the Sesko deal definitely looks on, we should remember that the guy is not the finished article by any means.
Looks like he needs a lot of work, to improve his finishing and surprisingly for being 7ft, or whatever he is, rarely scores with headers.

3.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 14:48:41
Yes would be a decent front 3, but still terribly worrying that we so slow in getting ball forward to this three, plus our midfield can get walked through and not much pace at CB but will be interesting that’s for sure
It’s a very strange way to build a team, from the front! Be different anyway!

4.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 15:10:51
Fingers are crossed. I was hoping we’d sign Sesko in the summer that we signed Hojlund (iirc, he moved to Leipzig for like €20m), so better late than never, as far as I’m concerned.

I actually think him and Hojlund would relish competing with one another and can see both really improving over the coming seasons.

5.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 15:31:06
How come we suddenly have all those money?

6.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 15:51:01
I understand people’s view that Sesko isn’t proven like Hojlund but for me, we have a back room staff who really are studying the targets and there is more purpose if you like with the signings. Plus we have Vivell who knows the player well so for him to push for him would be a massive risk for his career if he didn’t think he was capable.

German, to your point, I think having those 3 up there and what Amorim is going we will see that ball played forward quicker. Our major problem last season was getting it in the back of the net. The year we lost the title to City on Goal difference, SAF went and brought the leagues top scorer in RVP. You get players that make the difference in what you struggled in. A GK now would make this an excellent window IMO.

7.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 15:53:00
German, statistically speaking, our problem wasn't defending, it's scoring and by buying these players, it is going to go a long way towards sorting that problem.

Without doubt, a CM will also be bought too. But it was imperative we bought goals first.

8.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 16:02:26
AMPN the transfer fees are spread over 3-4 years so as not to use up the whole budget on one or two players.

9.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 17:09:18
The idea that it's so bizarre to focus on getting goals ahead of reducing the number conceded is pretty daft imo.

We (15th place) conceded the joint eleventh most EPL goals last season - five less than 8th placed Brighton, but only 4 teams scored less and 3 of those were relegated - 22 goals less than Brighton. This, during a season where injuries have savaged our defensive options leading to outright fatigue amongst the more mobile. I would argue that a scary amount of those goals conceded came after our midfield was sliced through like butter.

Absolutely, we do need to address our defensive solidity issues, but it's more likely that a proper DM with greater mobility, power, speed and IQ would help each of the two respective departments immensely.

Sesko, while indeed being a relatively rough diamond, is, imo, a far better player than Hojlund and the main reason is this - his brain.

Hojlund, as I've said before, has all the physical gifts you'd want for a striker - big, tall and quick, but he just lacks a striker's brain. Sesko has all the physical tools that Hojlund has, but with the bonus of being much better on the ball with decent ability to link play and find space.

It would be a huge outlay, spread in whatever way can be agreed, but he has a better GPG average than Isak had before signing for Newcastle at £63m and is of a similar profile to the Swede - hence the interest from them Geordies.

If it can be done, I'm all for it - get him in.

10.) 06 Aug 2025
06 Aug 2025 06:43:16
Clearly Ork, you know more than every pundit every manager current or Ex and pretty much every club throughout time and all countries, that you need to build from the back, it’s no good and not possible to have to score 3 or 4 every week to win a game.
We not let a lot of goals in, in the past because we hardly get out of our own half and a back 5 and midfielders defending, we moved the ball so slowly we hardly left gaps, that will all change if we are going to try get the ball forward quicker and our defenders are poor, slow cumbersome and on top of that you want Amad at RWB so no defending from there either…. You watch the goals against column this season……might not concern those who live in cuckooland but the lack of pace in the CBs and midfield and Amad at RWB to me looks like gaps going to be everywhere for teams to exploit…. but that’s ok we hope to get the forwards scoring 3/ 4/ 5 a game, and let’s remember none of our forwards fall into the great player category just the good category
Let’s see who is daft or not.
To me you build from the back especially when it’s already so poor.

11.) 06 Aug 2025
06 Aug 2025 08:19:30
It is unarguable that we need a goal scorer as a priority. But it's also clear that the midfield is way too soft. The Newcastle philosophy of you score three we will score four as exhibited by Keegans side was great to watch but they won nothing.

In today's league where all teams are more tactically aware and have better players any weakness is targeted more scientifically and midfield is definitely one we have.
We definitely need someone to be the defensive shield there but also who can help transform defence into attack. Have mentioned it before but if Martinez could stay fit he would be ideal for a year allowing the club breathing space financially.

12.) 06 Aug 2025
06 Aug 2025 11:32:39
Clubs will target the midfield and the CBs and certainly the GK, might as well try Martinez in midfield because he is now targeted and shown up at CB in the epl anyway, so he can’t be no worse.
Still we have no pace no mobility and no legs in midfield or CB it’s a huge worry.

13.) 06 Aug 2025
06 Aug 2025 12:06:55
This could be wrong, but he’s scored 13 headed goals in his career and that’s the most out of any centre forward in his age category and more than Gyokeres and some other big names.

14.) 06 Aug 2025
06 Aug 2025 17:15:06
German.

In 24/ 25 - the first season where the Ineos team oversaw recruitment at United, the club signed Yoro, De Ligt, Maz, Dorgu and Heaven, with a pre-agreement reached for Leon.
In addition to those 6 defenders, the club signed 1 attacker and 2 defensive midfielders.
So, of the 9 players who agreed terms with United through 24/ 25, 8 were defensive.
We sold or released 6 defenders and 1 defensive midfielder.
Is Maz an upgrade on Wan-Bissaka?
Absolutely.
Is Yoro a better player now than the aged Varane?
Yes.
Is De Ligt better than Kambwala?
Yes.
Is Heaven better than Fish?
Yes.
Are Dorgu and Leon better than Alvaro and Brandon Williams?
Imo, yes.

So, unless I'm stupid and reading things wrong, the very first summer under the watchful eye of Ineos was, despite the involvement of ten Hag, focused mostly on improving the defensive areas.
Yeah great, Ugarte was a mistake and Kone was bought on potential, but the primary focus last year was defence - so they have already concentrated on working from the back to the front.

Indeed, the jury's still out on De Ligt, but it is only the pace he lacks. He's quicker than Ruben Dias, but there's not so much noise made about that, is there? Also, Ugarte is quicker and more mobile than Rodri, but he's not in the same league as him. City's 2 main defensive forces in the middle are slower than ours, so it's not just about speed, is it? It's a team game and each player needs to fit properly for it to work.

How many first-team CB options do we have? I count 8 - De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro, Maz, Fredricson, Martinez, Shaw and Heaven.
How many realistic options will we, atm, have up top next season?
I count 8 - Hojlund, Zirkzee, Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount, Amad, Mainoo and Fernandes.
We aren't refreshing the attack with 6 signings, are we? Just the 2 or 3.

Then, and we should certainly be making moves regardless of Sesko, we should be looking at a proper DM.

Just my opinion? Yes, but I'm not getting salty.

15.) 06 Aug 2025
06 Aug 2025 19:51:15
Very good post Ork.
Its very clear that the club will prioritise a cb and gk before a cb.
Would Amorim like a better cb? i'm sure he would but we are worse off in midfield and in goal than we are at cb.
Quite simply if we had scored 30 more goals last season we would have been 6th / 7th.
New keeper for me all day long before a new cb.
And a new cm before a new cb.
Rwb needs a top special-ist but again we will muddle through with maz amad and dalot for a season. I hope amad surprises a few.
Lots of positives this summer.
Some like to focus on the negatives and knock any optimism and positivity. Each to their own but I tend to look at the upsides accept that there are negative points that won't get addressed this summer.
Assuming sesko we have signed 3 exciting players in attack so not much to be negative about there.

16.) 07 Aug 2025
07 Aug 2025 06:54:59
LOL. Yoro at this moment in time is nowhere near even an aging Varane was, now your being diabolical. As for the others you mention that they are better than the players they replaced is also diabolical, yes they maybe better but does that really make them suitable for united or indeed to get into any top 4 side, the answer to that is a resounding NO
Your looking at history saying we hardly let in many goals, that’s because most of the season we had 5 defenders and 2 holding midfielders camped in our own half, we never hardly got out our own half! If we start and it’s a big IF moving the ball quicker and getting up to the attackers more, we will leaves gaping holes everywhere and no pace to cover those holes, you watch how many we conceded this season!
Pace and mobility is massively important in the EPL unless you are an elite player with a brain that can overcome that ingredient but they are few and far between…… so coming up with name of Rodri is quite laughable and then mentioning Delight, Ugarte, Martinez in same sentence shows me what your really are.

17.) 07 Aug 2025
07 Aug 2025 16:54:42
German

I didn't mention De Ligt in the same sentence as Rodri, he appeared in the sentence before compared to Dias. I hadn't mentioned Martinez in any sentence built on comparison, but hey, you read what you want.

Anyhoo, I did mention that, despite being quicker and more mobile, Ugarte's not in the same league as Rodri. The comparison was made for the benefit of context.

Contextually, I was essentially driving home the point that it is not only about speed and athleticism in the EPL - if it were, then Rodri would fail.
Let's have it right, Lukaku would have won the Ballon D'Or if only speed and athleticism made a player. It's also about the brain in the player and their natural technique - that's where Ugarte is lacking.

Not once have I said De Ligt, Martinez or Ugarte are at the levels of Dias or Rodri.

I haven't once disagreed with your opinion that we need more speed in defence and midfield, I think you're trying to manufacture BS and apply it to the frustration that lives rent-free in your head before projecting at anyone in range - you crack on buddy, it's funny.

You clearly can't be arsed to read a comment and prefer to cherry pick whatever jumps out at you, which is why you've missed the point. Well done. ???.