Manchester United s striker hunt: Watkins and Sesko top wishlist

Manchester United is eyeing Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko as their primary targets should they decide to bring in further attacking reinforcements during the current transfer window.

However, any new arrival at Old Trafford is contingent on United's ability to offload some of their unwanted players. There's an acknowledgment among the club's hierarchy that this might not happen until closer to the September 1 deadline, making the pursuit of top strikers a complex endeavor.

Bringing either Watkins or Sesko to Old Trafford would be far from straightforward. Newcastle United, who have faced setbacks in securing several key targets this summer and are dealing with uncertainty surrounding their own star forward Alexander Isak, are known to be keen on the Slovenian striker Sesko. The 22-year-old impressed last season, scoring 13 goals in 33 Bundesliga appearances.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, has firmly stated they are not interested in selling England international Watkins. Despite this, United believes Villa's stance could soften nearer the transfer deadline. However, they reportedly deem a suggested £60 million price tag for the 29-year-old, whose contract at Villa Park runs until 2028, to be significantly too high.

Currently, Rasmus Hojlund is Ruben Amorim's first-choice center-forward. However, the Dane struggled last season, netting just 10 goals in 52 games. While Amorim praised Hojlund for his performance in Saturday's 2-1 pre-season friendly win over West Ham at the MetLife Stadium, where he used his pace and power to create an opportunity that struck the outside of a post, he has yet to score in two pre-season appearances. One missed first-half chance, in particular, drew a frustrated reaction from his manager.

United has already signed three players this summer, spending almost £130 million. This includes attacking duo Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, who could operate as central strikers but are more likely to fill Amorim's preferred two number 10 roles, as well as teenage defender Diego Leon.

Amorim spoke on Friday about his current preference for signing players with prior knowledge of the Premier League. This preference aligns with a potential move for Watkins.

Adding to the transfer complexities, Marcus Rashford joined Barcelona last week, while other players deemed surplus to requirements – Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Tyrrell Malacia – were notably left out of the team's US tour. Last week, Amorim stated that the club would not sell these players on the cheap and would welcome them back into the fold if necessary, indicating a firm stance on player valuations.