Wilcox in talks with Manchester United for ‘monster’ £130m deal

Manchester United go into this transfer window primed for success, but how much are they actually willing to spend?

Under INEOS’s new regime, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Jason Wilcox and others, their spending has not necessarily become more conservative, but it has become more prudent.

Last season they tended to sign players with a proven track record in the Premier League, signing Brian Mbeumo from Brentford and Matheus Cunha from Wolves.

Both players seamlessly integrated into the game at Old Trafford. However, Benjamin Sesko took some time to get up to speed. He performed well under Michael Carrick, but this is far from being another Rasmus Hjølund situation. There may still be time for things to play out the same way, but I hope it doesn’t.

However, Sesco’s inconsistent performances have caused movement in the transfer market.

Manchester United considering signing striker this summer

Of course, the Red Devils’ top priority this summer is strengthening their midfield. Ederson is widely expected to sign from Atalanta, although the club has yet to make an announcement.

But while dream target Elliott Anderson is unlikely to head to Man United, Matheus Fernandes now appears to be closing in on a deal with Tottenham Hotspur.

Alas, United will fight to the bitter end to force the signing of a strong midfield player, but maybe they have a player at the top end of the pitch as well?

One player who has been rumored in recent weeks is Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Crupi, who scored 13 goals for the Cherries in the Premier League last season. However, the south coast side have no intention of selling him and it appears he intends to remain at the Vitality Stadium.

One player who is almost certain to leave is Julian Alvarez, with United currently at the negotiating table to sign him.

Alvarez was the subject of a huge £130m bid from Real Madrid a few weeks ago. This offer was rejected and Atlético Madrid laughed in the face of their rivals. Alvarez’s dream is to move to Barcelona, ​​but his current team are adamantly opposed to selling him to another La Liga club.

This also opened the door to other suitors, primarily Arsenal. According to reports, if he does not sign with Barça, he would like to join manager Mikel Arteta’s team.

However, according to Argentine journalist Marcos Duran, United have spoken directly to the striker’s agent about a possible move this summer.

Duran said he is considering plans B, C and D in case Alvarez’s camp does not move to Camp Nou.

Comparison of Julian Alvarez and Benjamin Sesco

When United signed Sesco a year ago, there were some obvious concerns. They have previously come under fire for signing project strikers, namely Joshua Zirkzee and the aforementioned Hojlund.

Indeed, supporters’ worst fears appeared to be coming true when the Slovenian scored just two goals in his first 16 Premier League games.

But all the big center forward needed was a change of manager. All the players really did their best. From the moment Amorim left, Sesko began to come back to life, even if he was still not playing regularly.

The former RB Leipzig man became something of a super-sub, scoring nine goals in 14 league appearances at the end of the season. He only started in six of those games.

Boasting a similar build to Erling Haaland and full of speed and power, Sesco boasts an impressive profile, but the jury is still out on the 23-year-old.

But Alvarez would be a huge upgrade. He is a proven center forward who is currently at the top of his game. Joe Cole, who was described as a “monster” by Argentine journalist Pablo Gonzalez, also hailed the player as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” for his achievements in Madrid last year.

The 26-year-old played second fiddle to Haaland at Manchester City, but was still a formidable force, particularly in his final spell at the Etihad, where he scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists.

However, since his move to Atleti he has become one of the best centre-forwards in world football, scoring 29 goals in his debut season and a further 20 last season. The truth is that Alvarez has a much better track record than Sesco and is generally a better player.

Sesco has a lot of aggression, but is not always the gentlest. Alvarez certainly is, compared to that.

Technically, the World Cup winner has superior class, performs much more progressive actions and has the ability to carry the ball much more efficiently. In that regard, United’s current key player at the top is one of the worst ball-carrying strikers in Europe’s top five leagues, and ranks in the bottom 65% of positionally similar players in terms of progressive carries.

While Sesco is a dominant force in the air, Alvarez will offer more elsewhere. He is a great talent in almost every attacking phase except for aerial play. It also doesn’t hurt that the Atleti superstar ranks in the top 9% of strikers on the continent as an expected threat in the build-up phase of play. Sesco is in the worst 61% of strikers.

Signing a shiny new centre-forward may not be the biggest priority this summer, but when the opportunity to sign Alvarez presents itself, they must try to seize it.