Man Utd 'make decision' on Benjamin Sesko pursuit after Omar Berrada speaks out

Manchester United have not indicated to RB Leipzig that they are willing to match Newcastle United's eye-watering financial package to sign Benjamin Sesko, according to reports. Newcastle have launched an aggressive pursuit of the 22-year-old striker in recent days, first offering £65million guaranteed plus £5m in add-ons on Saturday.

Leipzig rebuffed that approach but received an improved bid worth an initial £70m on Monday, which could match their demands. Newcastle and United are awaiting to learn Sesko's preference, but the latter might not stand a chance if they cannot table a similar fee.

According to The Athletic, United still want Sesko but have yet to send a formal proposal to Leipzig, and it is not clear that they would sanction a £70m swoop.

While the Slovenian's priority will be crucial to any deal, Leipzig have no plans to settle for a fee below their expectations.

So even if he opts for Old Trafford rather than St. James' Park, a stay at the Bundesliga club could be on the cards if United do not meet their asking price.

Both Red Devils chief executive Omar Berrada and head coach Ruben Amorim have stressed the importance of breaking the trend of overpaying for signings this summer.

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Earlier in the transfer window, Berrada indirectly responded to supporters' frustrations over the length of the Bryan Mbeumo saga with his mindset.

"He [Matheus Cunha] was an important one to get done," Berrada told United We Stand earlier this summer. "We're going to do our best to do more signings quickly.

"Sometimes when you're not quick, it's because you're negotiating and you're trying to make sure you get the right value for money. So being efficient or quick isn't necessarily the best thing for the club."

Meanwhile, Amorim has suggested he would be happy if he enters the new season with his current squad rather than repeating mistakes in the market.

He said: "We need to be really careful when we sign players. If we start the season with this squad, I am happy.

"We are going to suffer, but that feeling of bonding is really important. The spirit is positive."

United triggered Matheus Cunha's £62.5m release clause and will pay that fee over three instalments. They will cover Mbeumo's initial £65m fee across four.

Committing £70m on an unproven overseas striker would be a new risk entirely, and it is unlikely one that Berrada will sanction.