Manchester United are now said to be weighing up two main options when it comes to strikers this summer, having seemingly narrowed their search with just over a month left of the transfer window.
With The Athletic‘s David Ornstein having already intimated that there’s a “very good chance” current number nine Rasmus Højlund could “move on” as head coach Ruben Amorim looks to install his desired talents, it’s already been well publicised that more new arrivals will likely depend on sales.
That being said, the outlet’s Laurie Whitwell now reports that Man United are homing in on two specific names: Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and Slovenian rising star, Benjamin Šeško.
Which one they decide to go and fully pursue remains to be seen.
#MUFC narrow striker search to Ollie Watkins + Benjamin Sesko. Club in touch on both players to figure out suitability + cost.
Nicolas Jackson ruled out due to Chelsea demands.
Watkins is Premier League proven, Sesko has high potential ceiling.
At present, it’s believed that the club is beginning the process of assessing which of the forwards – both of whom are well-favoured by various English suitors and, indeed, across the continent – is not only the best fit on paper but the most viable option.
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Besides the prospective cost of each player, one of the big differences between the two talented attackers is their age profile, with Watkins now well within his peak at 29 and Šeško still just 22 and already showing plenty of promise and a tall ceiling.
According to Whitwell, “No decision has yet been made on which target to advance, but United are in contact on both Watkins and Sesko to establish the potential costs of each deal.” Their suitability for the Portuguese manager’s system is also important.
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Stat-wise, Watkins registered 17 goals and 14 assists last season and was one of the most prolific goal threats in Europe the previous term (27G 15A), while RB Leipzig’s Šeško notched 27 involvements in 44 appearances during the 2024/25 campaign, plus five more at international level.
It’s also worth noting that the former is already Premier League proven, having also scored big goals in major tournaments, not to mention having been on United’s radar for a few years now; journalist Samuel Luckhurst and other sources have also claimed that Watkins is “open” to Old Trafford.
Manchester United exploring both Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins. Efforts currently framed around those two, as @lauriewhitwell called.
As reported, Ollie Watkins talks have already taken place. Villa prefer to keep and won’t entertain a sale without a replacement. They value… pic.twitter.com/DotKmEniHI
Once again, however, a key stumbling block for either would be the transfers themselves, with Villa and Leipzig thought to be looking for something in the region of £60 million and £70 million, respectively.
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Returning to Whitwell, the Stockport-born Man United correspondent adds that Villa “might look to find an agreement at £40m to £45m” given their Arsenal were unwilling to patch their asking price back in the January window.
United are also said to have quickly moved on from Chelsea’s Nichola Jackson for the very same reason: all three individuals will inevitably come with big fees and wages.
On the other hand, were the Red Devils able to sell the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony – having quoted £50m to Al-Nassr for the currently ousted Brazilian – and quite possibly even Hojlund, they may be able to stretch their budget to afford the likes of highly sought-after Šeško.
He’s been big linked with big money moves since he burst onto the scene at Salzburg.
Obviously, Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee remain in the squad and are still relatively early in their careers full-stop, but it’s fair to say that neither have quite hit the ground running in red.
Jürgen Klopp reveals the main reason he turned down the Manchester United job
Danny Jones
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has revealed one of the main reasons he turned down the Manchester United job more than a decade ago.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund boss turned Merseyside hero spent nine years at Anfield, going on to win a Champions League, Premier League, and a collection of cups.
It’s also worth noting that this all came in the years following the departure of legendary Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but there could have been an alternate reality where Klopp carried on where ‘Fergie’ left off, as the now 58-year-old says the club spoke to him during that time.
With Sir Alex leaving in 2013 after the best part of 30 years, Klopp told Steven Bartlett on his most recent Diary of A CEO episode that “of course, they were interested.”
OUT NOW!
💥Jürgen Klopp on The Diary Of A CEO
Some of the topics we cover:
•His surprise at Liverpool’s £450m transfer window and why he didn’t get the same money
•He says a return to Liverpool is possible – but he couldn’t ask for just one year off
Admitting that the interest was mutual “at one point”, the prospect of joining Liverpool‘s historic rivals clearly appealed to him.
Noting that he was flourishing as an up-and-coming coach (aged 46 back then) in charge of an impressive Dortmund team – adding that even some of his then future players to be at Liverpool flew to watch them play in the Champions League – it’s clear he had plenty of suitors.
However, the retired German footballer turned ‘Gegenpressing’ tactician goes on to explain that despite United trying to poach him from the Bundesliga, it was “the wrong time, wrong moment for me.”
Crucially, he says that some aspects of the conversations between him and the club at the time proved to be a turn-off rather than an incentive, citing talk of ‘the biggest club in the world’ and supposedly “signing any player we want.”
In short, Klopp says that, crucially, it didn’t sound like it would have been his project, drawing parallels to the board wanting to bring back players like Paul Pogba, with arguably similar ‘mistakes’ being made with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo. In his eyes, looking backwards simply “never helps”.
You can see the clip in full here:
Had he not turned down the offer, do you think Klopp could have helped rebuild Man United?
According to Klopp, after negotiations seemed to revolve primarily around the kind of players they were going to bring in, he decided the opportunity wasn’t for him.
Nevertheless, it looked like things worked out for Merseyside’s biggest club, at least, as he went on to become one of the most successful managers in the Premier League, managing to break up the long period of dominance overseen by both Manchester United and, most recently, Man City.
As for the red half of Manchester, they at the very least had a good weekend as they finally ended their long wait for a win away against Liverpool.
In case you missed it, you can watch the highlights – including another big clutch goal from Harry Maguire – down below.
A 5k charity event where runners dress up as Pitbull is coming to Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
Yep, you read it right the first time – a regular 5k charity run returns to Manchester this month, only this time, those taking part will be dressed up as Pitbull for some reason…
Don’t ask us, we just thought it was funny and it’s for a good cause, so why the hell not?
For a little context, this is the latest idea from Slow Run Club: a local running organisation that takes place weekly at three different locations across Greater Manchester.
We know ‘Mr Worldwide’ himself has been and gone, having played a couple of nights in Manchester earlier this year, but these lot have decided two nights of yelling ‘Timberrrr’ still wasn’t quite enough and asking those joining the October fundraising 5k to dress up like the one and only Pitbull.
In case you missed it when ‘Dale’ fever took over the city streets this past summer, bald caps, sunglasses, black felt goatees and drawn-on moustaches descended upon central Manchester as they have been all over the UK and beyond for his live shows.
Was it utterly daft? Yes. Was it still one of THE best gig crowds we’ve seen in yonks? Absolutely.
The 44-year-old Floridian rapper and resurgent pop star played multiple nights at the Co-op Live, and they were brilliant, but we’re not going to pretend that the best wasn’t seeing the sea of shiny bald heads and shades in suits and ties.
It’s rare that you see such a shared moment of abandoning inhibitions and embracing the silliness; it was genuinely so great to see, and it’s that same energy that these guys are trying to tap into. Put simply, it’s about letting go and dancing like no one’s watching.
Teaming up with fellow charity-focused running group, Run The Streets MCR, Slow Run Club (SRC)’s Pitbull fancy-dress-themed run is just the latest in a growing trend of alternative ways to get some exercise in.
After you’ve gone all ‘305’ at the Pitbull run, these Manchester runners are worth looking into as well.
Having done everything from the regular fancy dress Halloween runs to Oasis, Sabrina Carpenter, ABBA-themed runs, and many more, you’d be surprised how much you don’t care about what people think when you’re running around and dancing to tunes – especially when it’s for charity.
Once again, the Slow Run Club x Run The Streets MCR ‘Pitbull Edition’ 5k charity run takes place this month on Wednesday, 22 October, from 6:30pm onwards outside The Tap House on Circle Square, just off the Oxford Road Corridor, before setting off at a laid-back social pace.
This is the same place and time you’ll find SRC’s city centre regular meet-up every week; speaking to The Manc, founder Holly Spiers said: “We run from The Taphouse every Wednesday (just not usually dressed as Pitbull) and offer an inclusive pace as well as rest stops.”
Speaking of fancy dress, if you haven’t seen the group of four mates who made history at the 2025 Manchester Half, stop what you’re doing and read this:
These legends set an incredibly fun, wholesome and amusing world record at this year's @ManchesterHalf – all whilst raising money for @andysmanclubuk. 👏
Danny Jones -
29th July 2025 
