Man Utd reignite interest in £92m forwards after lethal 21y/o star snubs move

Manchester United are back in the mix for Lille ace Jonathan David and another centre-forward after Benjamin Sesko decided to snub a move to the Premier League, as per reports.

Sesko ended the 2023-24 club campaign in brilliant fashion, registering goals in every one of RB Leipzig’s final seven Bundesliga games. That saw him end the season with a record of 18 goals and two assists from 42 appearances.

Sesko had already been on the radar of several major sides, but that electric form put him even higher up on those club’s radars.

Indeed, Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea have all set their sights on him as a solution to their striker problems. Sources confirmed to TEAMtalk that Arsenal had put themselves in pole position to snap the 21-year-old up.

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However, it emerged on Tuesday that Sesko has decided to remain at Leipzig by penning a contract extension. While the new deal will not include a typical release clause, Sesko has reached a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Leipzig which means he can leave for a suitable fee in the future. This in turn means that an exit this summer is off the cards.

Sesko’s decision has forced the likes of Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea to look at other strikers.

According to journalist Rob Dawson, INEOS chiefs have drawn up a three-man shortlist as they look to sign another goalscorer who can help Rasmus Hojlund.

Man Utd are once again tracking David, who has been a target in several previous transfer windows. The Canadian continues to be deadly in the final third, having notched 26 goals in 47 games for Lille during the 2023-24 season.

Man Utd transfers: Jonathan David back on radar

Lille hope to receive €50million (£42m) for David. But with his contract expiring in June 2025, Man Utd part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe could try to negotiate that price down.

The second striker Man Utd have reignited their interest in is Brentford hitman Ivan Toney. While the England star struggled at times following his return from a long-term betting ban, he remains a highly rated striker at Premier League level.

At the height of his form during the 2022-23 campaign, Brentford valued Toney at between £80-100m. But Toney has little more than a year to run on his contract, like David, and this means Brentford have been forced to lower their demands to £50m.

The third striker on Man Utd’s shortlist is Joshua Zirkzee, a link that has been well documented in recent days. The Bologna forward has an enticing release clause worth just £34m, but this means Man Utd will face plenty of competition to snap him up.

Arsenal are huge admirers of the Dutchman, while AC Milan fully intend on keeping him in Serie A by striking a deal with Bologna.

Nevertheless, Ratcliffe has reportedly made contact with Zirkzee’s agent as he aims to steal a march on Man Utd’s transfer rivals.

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