Benjamin Sesko at £55m is outrageous, and there’s still a case for Manchester United to pay up

Add as preferred source on Google

Manchester United’s interest in Red Bull Salzburg forward Benjamin Sesko was reported this week amid the club’s search for a striker.

Sesko, 19, is already a Slovenia international and Fabrizio Romano reports United are ‘well informed’ on the striker.

Perhaps, at a guess, the Salzburg forward came highly recommended to the scouting team by Ralf Rangnick, who has past ties to the Austrian club.

And then the hammer dropped. This isn’t going to be a cheap deal. The Mail reported Salzburg do not want to sell for less than £55 million.

READ MORE: Confirmed Manchester United transfers, ins, outs, loans, releases for 2022/23

Benjamin Sesko at £55m

When some clubs see Manchester United’s name calling, they get greedy. United get asked to pay fees which other clubs do not.

Look at Bayern Munich’s £20 million deal for Ryan Gravenberch. United would have been charged double.

But if Sesko is the player United want, and believe in, there’s a case to do a deal, even if it means paying a high-price with lots of related add-ons to reach the high figure.

United haven’t splashed out on a young forward like this for years. Not since 2015 when the club paid £36 million plus add-ons for Anthony Martial from Monaco, have United taken a gamble on a young striker.

And here we are, seven years on, and Martial is set to start the season as Manchester United’s first choice striker.

The path hasn’t exactly been smooth, and Martial has probably underachieved in that time, but he’s still given United some big moments along the way, and he’s still here.

If United pay up for Benjamin Sesko, and he is still leading the line for the club in 2029, then it won’t have been a bad deal at all. It will be money well spent.

Whether Sesko is ultimately the right player or not, United’s scouting department must judge, and show some conviction if so.

Back in 2015, United picked out Martial, and were bold. They went for it, paid big, and got him. And all these years on, he could still have a big part to play.

In recent seasons United haven’t been bold. Short-term fixes have been the order of the day. It’s time for United to think long-term, and pick a player who can play an important role in the years ahead.