The centre-forward market...

sullydnl

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For the umpteenth time, Sesko isn't available. He was just sold. He is just about to move to a new club. He isn't on the market.
The suggestion is that Leipzig may be willing to sell him on again for a sufficiently increased fee, with the transfer between the RB clubs then effectively being a way of dividing profit from Sekso's ultimate sale.

Obviously that sounds highly dubious, but that's why he's still being mentioned as an option.
 

sullydnl

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When we talk about the lack of options it's worth bearing in mind how little Casemiro would have been on our (as in this forum's) radar as a possible option for DM this time last year.

We might end up with someone we hadn't anticipated by the time summer is done.
 

Giggsy13

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I find it odd that we keep being linked to Sesko when he’s set to move to RB Leipzig next season. Osimhen should be the primary target.
 

croadyman

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I find it odd that we keep being linked to Sesko when he’s set to move to RB Leipzig next season. Osimhen should be the primary target.
Still think Kane is primary target if he actually leaves which looks debatable at best
 

Doracle

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Still think Kane is primary target if he actually leaves which looks debatable at best
Also easier to get Kane out of Levy with one year to go than Osimhen away from Di Laurentiss, especially if Napoli are champions for the first time in 30 years. I suspect Osimhen will be double the cost.
 

Idxomer

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I find it odd that we keep being linked to Sesko when he’s set to move to RB Leipzig next season. Osimhen should be the primary target.
And if we're going for an unproven young striker, I would rather go for Evan Ferguson.
 

Kinsella

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What would he cost though? £60 million?
No, sure he’s only played in 5 matches so far.

However…if he continues this form until the end of the season who knows how much he would cost?! Prices are crazy nowadays.
 

Doracle

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No, sure he’s only played in 5 matches so far.

However…if he continues this form until the end of the season who knows how much he would cost?! Prices are crazy nowadays.
That’s the difficulty with any player playing in the premier league. There’s no way Brighton would sell him for £20 million now. They’ll take their chances that he’ll be worth £100 million in 3 years and don’t need the money. You’d need to massively overpay based on potential to get them to consider it.
 

NoPace

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Would change second GK for either backup ST on free (Thuram/Dembele), or backup AM on free (Tielemans) and sell Martial because just can't be relied upon now.
I think he fits the system well enough that we'll trigger his one year extension and then make a decision on whether to sell for 10M or so with one year to go to some team desperate for a #9 in Italy or Germany, or just keep him if he's doing well and let him run things out on a free.

He's more valuable as a member of the squad than he is being sold. Rashford can be the 3rd striker as we have Sancho, Garnacho and Amad (and Pellistri) as wide options, which is probably the only position we have extra depth at.
 

stefan92

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The suggestion is that Leipzig may be willing to sell him on again for a sufficiently increased fee, with the transfer between the RB clubs then effectively being a way of dividing profit from Sekso's ultimate sale.

Obviously that sounds highly dubious, but that's why he's still being mentioned as an option.
The big question is how Leipzig plan to play - will they use one or two forwards? Right now they are killing Schalke with both Werner and Silva up front - if they keep using that 442, there will be enough playing time for Sesko and they won't sell him.
 

BuzzKillington

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I like that Kudus idea if we sign a more defensive minded midfielder and sign Sesko, though it's putting a lot on Eriksen still:

Centrally, we'd have:

Martial/Sesko/Kudus
Bruno/Kudus/Eriksen
Eriksen/Fred/#6
Casemiro/#6

it looks pretty good if you plug say Caicedo, Rice, Zubimendi, Brozovic, Lavia or Locatelli in there, i.e someone who can cover Casemiro but also start next to him because he can pass

So a summer of say:

Out - Maguire, McTominay, Wan-Bissaka, Pellistri, De Gea
In - Sesko, Kudus, DM/CM, Frimpong, RCB, Sanchez

and Amad probably goes on loan one more year if Sancho stays.

6 players seems like a lot to bring in though, even if we get say 85M for the 4 players and save big on De Gea and Maguire wages. That covers Sesko and Frimpong, though, so the only new money is Kudus, the expensive DM/CM, a young center back and then the keeper. That looks like about 180M still, seems like too much. But the squad is quite good at that point, and any single injury no longer terrifies us as long as the RCB is decent.

But yeah, Kudus can turn and play and drop deep and that would fit with Rashford, though continue to put the goalscoring burden squarely on him. But we'd play decent stuff I think with Kudus up top. And Bruno could get more rest, though he can probably can anyways if we sign a proper DM/CM and Eriksen can start more games and come off the bench at #10 more.
We still have to satisfy the prems home grown rule. 8 of a named squad of 25 need to satisfy that rule. With the squad changes you’re proposing here, I’m really not certain we’d be doing that.
 

NoPace

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We still have to satisfy the prems home grown rule. 8 of a named squad of 25 need to satisfy that rule. With the squad changes you’re proposing here, I’m really not certain we’d be doing that.
You’re right.

Rashford, Sancho, Shaw, Kane and you’re right that’s not enough. We’d need the RCB and backup keeper to be homegrown. Bonus points for Declan Rice, Kane and maybe Kyle Walker Peters or Livramento at RB or another year of Wan-Bissaka.

We should start a thread for plausible HG signings. There’s a fun case for Zaha if we can’t get Kane.
 

JeffFromHK

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I don't get the hype for Sesko, he scored 5 goals in 16 league games in Australian league at 19
looks like he is never a natural goal scorer
at the same age Haaland scored 16 goals in 14 league games.
 

Berbaclass

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don’t really understand why we seemingly weren’t interested in Danjuma on loan. Would have been a solid squad player

 

croadyman

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don’t really understand why we seemingly weren’t interested in Danjuma on loan. Would have been a solid squad player

Yeah and domestic one as we have already used up our quota on Wout and Butland
 

UnitedSofa

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Yeah and domestic one as we have already used up our quota on Wout and Butland
Only from the same league - Burnely are in Champ so doesn’t count - only Butland counts so it’s 1 out of 2.

Can have multiple loans outside of the Prem.
 

croadyman

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don’t really understand why we seemingly weren’t interested in Danjuma on loan. Would have been a solid squad player

Can't decide if we need a forward or midfielder more but gut feeling is we won't get either as loan fee not low enough
 

Lash

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don’t really understand why we seemingly weren’t interested in Danjuma on loan. Would have been a solid squad player

Because Rashford and I'd argue Garnacho would be ahead of him. He doesn't really play no 9, so it would just be stuffing the squad
 

RuudTom83

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Given the progress of Garnacho on the LW and the form of Rashford LW/CF this season, are United in the market for a automatic starting CF or are they more likely to be searching for a better/upgrade option on Martial/Weghorst?

Lots of talk about 100+ million strikers in the media/forums might be out of the budget.
 
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next_number_seven

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Our first priority is a top class goalscoring striker.
Martial is too unreliable in terms of injuries and goalscoring. Rashford plays best wide left.

If FDJ is available, then I wouldn't mind us buying a cheaper option, but striker should be our first priority. Goals win games and we don't score enough.

Our priority should be striker, midfielder, right back. In that order.
 

Erik the Red

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I like that Kudus idea if we sign a more defensive minded midfielder and sign Sesko, though it's putting a lot on Eriksen still:

Centrally, we'd have:

Martial/Sesko/Kudus
Bruno/Kudus/Eriksen
Eriksen/Fred/#6
Casemiro/#6

it looks pretty good if you plug say Caicedo, Rice, Zubimendi, Brozovic, Lavia or Locatelli in there, i.e someone who can cover Casemiro but also start next to him because he can pass

So a summer of say:

Out - Maguire, McTominay, Wan-Bissaka, Pellistri, De Gea
In - Sesko, Kudus, DM/CM, Frimpong, RCB, Sanchez

and Amad probably goes on loan one more year if Sancho stays.

6 players seems like a lot to bring in though, even if we get say 85M for the 4 players and save big on De Gea and Maguire wages. That covers Sesko and Frimpong, though, so the only new money is Kudus, the expensive DM/CM, a young center back and then the keeper. That looks like about 180M still, seems like too much. But the squad is quite good at that point, and any single injury no longer terrifies us as long as the RCB is decent.

But yeah, Kudus can turn and play and drop deep and that would fit with Rashford, though continue to put the goalscoring burden squarely on him. But we'd play decent stuff I think with Kudus up top. And Bruno could get more rest, though he can probably can anyways if we sign a proper DM/CM and Eriksen can start more games and come off the bench at #10 more.
Some sensible suggestions there, although as you mentioned right up top, maybe too much still on Eriksen. Thats where Tielemans on a free can really help us, and can switch for Eriksen without a substantial drop in quality. However, arguably it is the Eriksen position that we should be spending big (FDJ?) and then bring in cover for Casemiro. The issue is I can't see any cheap DMs out there. Alternatively we could bring in Enzo Fernandez as the number 8 / cover for 6, and then Tielemans would be the cover for number 8 and Eriksen cover for Bruno.
 

Erik the Red

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That’s the difficulty with any player playing in the premier league. There’s no way Brighton would sell him for £20 million now. They’ll take their chances that he’ll be worth £100 million in 3 years and don’t need the money. You’d need to massively overpay based on potential to get them to consider it.
He's a free agent in 2026, should be ready to replace Kane for United and England (and he is a United fan).
 

croadyman

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Given the progress of Garnacho on the LW and the form of Rashford LW/CF this season, are United in the market for a automatic starting CF or are they more likely to be searching for a better/upgrade option on Martial/Weghorst?

Lots of talk about 100+ million strikers in the media/forums might be out of the budget.
Presume you are talking about the summer
 

RuudTom83

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Presume you are talking about the summer
Yes, I know there is zero chance of another CF arriving this January.

But I'm more realistic than most when it comes to new signings...and after spending 250+ million last summer. I have doubts there would be the same amount made available to EtH in the summer.

CF, CM, RB.....GK makes signing a huge 100+ million CF unrealistic in my opinion, so I question if EtH would want an automatic starter or if he will develop Garnacho - Rashford - Antony as the starting front line, and add a better backup (better meaning an improvement on Martial/Weghorst)
 

Dans

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25m for Marcos Leonardo of Santos before Liverpool get him.
 

Lebo

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Marcus Thuram is the guy I would go for now all things considered. The guy is a decent CF, can play right wing and is also cheap.
 

BlueHaze

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Ten Hag was very keen on bringing in Šeško. It is a shame we could not do it.