Benjamin Sesko could put Man Utd in awkward position as £22m star rejected straight away

Manchester United have reportedly turned down the chance to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, indicating their strong interest in securing RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko. However, should a deal for the Bundesliga star fall through, the Red Devils may be forced into an embarrassing U-turn.

Ruben Amorim has identified a No. 9 as a crucial position to bolster this summer. Following the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, Sesko is now the top target at Old Trafford, ahead of other forwards such as Ollie Watkins and Jean-Philippe Mateta. On Tuesday, it was revealed that United have put forward a potential £74million bid. However, securing the 22-year-old Slovenian won't be straightforward, with Premier League rivals Newcastle also vying for his signature. Despite Sesko previously expressing a preference for the Manchester club, Amorim's side could be forced to humiliatingly revert to Vlahovic if they miss out.

According to Tuttosport, Juventus are eager to offload Vlahovic, who only has one year remaining on his current contract in Turin, and the player himself is keen to leave. The 25-year-old is believed to have had a request to terminate his deal with a £9m severance package rejected, and a price tag of £22m has been set for a player who once cost £62m.

Both AC Milan and United are said to have been offered the striker, with the Premier League side allegedly snubbing the opportunity to sign Vlahovic in favour of chasing Sesko.

United are locked in a fierce tug-of-war with Newcastle over the Slovenian star. Eddie Howe's team have tabled an audacious bid exceeding £70m for Sesko, challenging United's recent offer as the striker weighs up his options.

The Athletichave even suggested that United are scouting for alternatives should Newcastle, whose pursuit of Sesko hinges on Alexander Isak's potential move to Liverpool, emerge victorious in the tussle.

Among potential targets are Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson and Vlahovic, with United risking embarrassment if they backtrack on their initial dismissal of the Serbian striker. Yet, it's widely anticipated that Amorim's squad will bolster their underwhelming attack from last season, with £72m acquisition Rasmus Hojlund failing to hit the mark.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes, amid rumours of his own exit earlier this year, has been vocal about the need for reinforcements during their pre-season tour in the US, advocating for more competition and fresh faces in the squad.

"I don't want to have a dig at anyone, but I think the club is doing the best they can in terms of all the financial situations they talk about," Fernandes remarked following United's 2-2 stalemate with Everton on Sunday. "I don't know about it, I'm not involved in that. But obviously, it was crystal clear we needed more competition for the players that were here.

"We needed more quality to get everyone to step up a bit more and to have more to do to get into the starting line-up. I think that's what the club and the manager are trying to do and hopefully we can get one or two players more to help with that."