BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – MAY 10: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa celebrates following the team’s victory … More
Manchester United’s hunt for a new centre forward has taken them to a variety of different places. Indeed, the Old Trafford outfit has been linked with countless attackers this summer. Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres, Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and more have all been mentioned as potential United targets. Now, though, the search is finally narrowing.
Reports on Tuesday claimed Manchester United now has a choice between Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins. It’s believed Sesko could be available for a transfer fee of around $95m while Aston Villa could be convinced to sell Watkins for $55m. Either striker would surely improve the overall quality of Ruben Amorim’s forward line.
LEIPZIG, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 26: Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig scores his team’s first goal from the … More
Sesko had been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal before the Gunners completed a deal to sign Gyokeres from Sporting CP. Newcastle United is also believed to be admirers of the Slovenian as it faces up to the reality that Alexander Isak could be on his way out of St James’ Park to Liverpool this summer. Sesko would be a solid replacement.
Watkins is a different sort of option. While Sesko is still thought of as raw potential with the Slovenian still developing, Watkins is proven at Premier League level. He will turn 30 later this year and would be a stop-gap solution for Manchester United to help them build other areas of their team in the short-term.
Some United supporters might be disappointed not to land a superstar centre forward, but Watkins has scored 35 Premier League goals over the last two seasons. His all-round game is good enough to work in an Amorim system and there’s good reason to believe he would lead the line well for the Old Trafford side.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 25: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Head Coach Ruben Amorim of Manchester United is … More
Manchester United is at a crucial point in its reconstruction under Amorim. It moved quickly to secure the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo from Wolves and Brentford respectively, but still lacks the attacking focal point to bring everything together in the final third. This is why the choice between Sesko and Watkins is so important.
Sesko might be the striker with the higher ceiling, but United needs results quickly after a season which saw Amorim’s side finish an unprecedented 15th in the Premier League table. Rasmus Hojlund was once seen as Manchester United’s number nine of the future. Two years on, the club needs someone who cam contribute in the here and now. That might be Sesko or it could be Watkins.