Wilcox in talks to sign £130m “monster” for Man Utd

Manchester United have come into this transfer window ready to make a splash but just how much are they really willing to spend?

Under the new regime of INEOS, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Jason Wilcox and Co, their spending has not necessarily been less reserved but it has been more sensible.

Last term, there was an inclination to sign Premier League proven players, acquiring Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and Matheus Cunha from Wolves.

Both of them fitted seamlessly into proceedings at Old Trafford. Benjamin Sesko, however, took longer to get up to speed. While he did come good under Michael Carrick, there was a real far that this was another Rasmus Hojlund situation. There could still be time for things to play out in a similar way but you would hope they don’t.

However, Sesko’s inconsistent performances have prompted some movement in the transfer market.

Man United exploring striker deal this summer

Of course, the number one priority for the Red Devils this summer is to bolster their midfield. While not yet confirmed by the club, it’s widely expected that Ederson will sign from Atalanta.

The dream target in Elliot Anderson is unlikely to be heading to Man United, though, while Mateus Fernandes look as though he’s closer to signing for Tottenham Hotspur right now.

Alas, United will fight until the bitter end to force through a marquee midfield signing but perhaps there could also be one at the top end of the pitch?

One player linked in recent weeks has been Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, the scorer of 13 goals for the Cherries in the Premier League last season. That said, the south coast side are in no mood to sell and he looks set to stay at the Vitality Stadium.

One man who will almost certainly be on the move is Julian Alvarez and United are now at the table for him too.

Alvarez was the subject of an enormous £130m bid from Real Madrid a few weeks ago. That offer was rejected with Atletico Madrid laughing in the face of their rivals. Alvarez’s dream is to move to Barcelona but his current side are dead against selling him to another LaLiga club.

It has opened the door for other suitors, primarily Arsenal. Reports suggest that if he does not sign for Barca, he would like to join Mikel Arteta’s team.

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

Duran mentions that Alvarez’s camp are weighing up plan B, C and D on the chance he does not move to the Camp Nou.

How Julian Alvarez compares to Benjamin Sesko

When United signed Sesko a year ago there were some obvious concerns. They have been burnt before by signing project strikers, namely Joshua Zirkzee and the aformentioned Hojlund.

Indeed, when the Slovenian had scored just two goals in his first 16 Premier League outings, it looked like supporters’ worst fears had been realised.

Yet, all the big centre-forward needed was a change of manager. All of the players did really. From the moment Amorim left, Sesko started to come alive, even if he still didn’t start games regularly.

The former RB Leipzig man became something of a super sub, bagging nine times in his final 14 league appearances of the season. Only six of those outings were starts too.

Boasting a similar frame to a certain Erling Haaland, full of pace and power, Sesko boasts a fantastic profile but the jury remains out on the 23-year-old.

Alvarez, however, would represent a massive upgrade. This is a proven centre-forward at the very top of his game right now. Described as a “monster” by Argentine reporter Pablo Gonzalez, Joe Cole also heralded him as a “Ballon d’Or winner of the future” last year for his exploits in Madrid.

At Manchester City, the 26-year-old played second fiddle to Haaland but was still a phenomenal asset, notably registering 19 goals and 13 assists during his final term at the Etihad.

That said, since moving to Atleti, he has become one of the best centre-forwards in world football, scoring 29 goals in his debut campaign before firing home another 20 last season. The fact of the matter is that Alvarez is a lot more proven than Sesko and just generally, he’s a better player.

While Sesko has plenty of aggression, he’s not always the most easy on the eye. Alvarez, by way of comparison, certainly is.

Technically, the World Cup winner is a class above, completing far more progressive actions and possessing the ability to carry the ball far more efficiently. In that regard, United’s main man up top right now is one of the worst ball-carrying strikers in Europe’s top five leagues, ranking among the bottom 65% of positionally similar players for progressive carries.

While Sesko does reign surprme in the air, Alvarez is going to give you so much more elsewhere. He’s brilliant in pretty much every attacking phase besides aerial play. It’s worth also nothing that for expected threat in the build-up phases of play, the Atleti superstar ranks among the top 9% of strikers on the continent. Sesko is in the worst 61% of strikers.

While signing a shiny new centre-forward is not the biggest priority this summer, if the opportunity emerges to get Alvarez, they must try and take it.