Man Utd to bid for £55m talent ‘this week’, Red Devils ‘retain interest’ in Bundesliga star

Manchester United are just days away from kicking off their Premier League campaign against Brighton, but still face a number of unresolved transfer questions.

As well as ongoing sagas involving the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Frenkie de Jong, the Red Devils could yet be involved in a number of other deals besides.

With that in mind, here is Thursday’s United-related speculation...

Sesko bid expected

United are planning to table an offer for RB Salzburg forward Benjamin Sesko this week, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The promising striker has emerged as a target for the Red Devils in recent days, with uncertainty over Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford continuing to plague Erik ten Hag’s preparations for the start of the new Premier League campaign.

And while Italian transfer guru Romano has suggested that the outcome of that particular saga could dictate United’s transfer activity over the remainder of the window, he has also claimed that an offer for Sesko could be imminent.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “Of course, they need to clarify the situation of Cristiano Ronaldo before understanding who will be the right man.

“But Sesko is one of the top names they have on the list. Not the only one, but he’s one of the players that they are following. And so, we will see if they will bid this week for Benjamin Sesko.”

It is understood that Sesko is valued at around £55 million.

United eye Kalajdzic

United are also said to retain an interest in Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, according to the Daily Mail.

The Austrian forward cuts an imposing figure, standing at 6’7”, and hit 17 goals in 36 outings during his first Bundesliga campaign in 2019/20.

Injuries hampered his progress somewhat last term, but the 25-year-old still managed six strikes in 15 appearances.

Speaking recently, however, Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat revealed that the club are yet to receive an formal approaches for the towering hitman.

He said: “There are no offers.

“To me, there’s three options: you sell, you extend his contract, or the contract expires if there are no offers that are good enough to accept them.

“We’re in excellent talks with Sasa about his situation. And for me it’s always important when they are there, that they give their all and he does that, you can see that in every training session.”

United still hold out for De Jong

Senior United sources continue to believe that the primary obstacle preventing Frenkie de Jong from joining the club is financial rather than emotional, according to The Athletic.

The Red Devils have been linked with a swoop for the Dutchman all summer long, and have had a £71.1 million agreement in place with Barcelona since mid-July.

Personal terms are still yet to be ironed out, however, with recent reports claiming that the player has no interest in moving to Manchester.

For their part, United chiefs refute that viewpoint, and are instead of the opinion that monetary concerns - and in particular wages and payments owed to the player and his agents by Barcelona - are at the heart of his current hesitancy.