Manchester United officially confirmed the signing of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig on a permanent deal to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch on Saturday.
The Slovenia international was unveiled to the crowd before the friendly against Fiorentina, and had the chance to soak up the atmosphere from the stands before he gets the chance to play for himself.
Since Sesko’s arrival, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Rasmus Hojlund has been told that he will need to leave the club to play regular football in the 2025/26 campaign.
AC Milan are said to be interested in signing the Danish centre-forward and are willing to sign him on loan with an option to buy for £40m, with talks seemingly ongoing.
Former Premier League striker keen on Man Utd move
The Red Devils may need to dip into the market to sign a replacement for Hojlund, should he complete a move to Milan, as it would leave them light on back-up for Sesko if not.
According to The Sun, free agent centre-forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin is hoping to seal a transfer to Manchester United this summer to join Ruben Amorim’s squad.
The report claims that the former England international has parted ways with his representatives to negotiate with clubs himself, and is targeting a move to Old Trafford.
It adds that United would have to sell one of Zirzkee or Hojlund in order to make room for Calvert-Lewin, which means that Milan’s interest in Hojlund could open the door to a deal for the striker, who left Everton at the end of last season.
Why Man Utd should sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The Red Devils should consider signing the ex-Toffees star on a free transfer because he could be a dream replacement for Hojlund as a back-up striker.
Whilst the Danish forward may leave in search of regular football, Calvert-Lewin is an experienced forward who has not played for one of the biggest clubs in the country yet, and this latest report shows that he is keen to join, despite knowing he would likely be behind Sesko.
The 28-year-old marksman, who was once hailed as a “monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 71 goals in 273 appearances in all competitions for Everton.
|
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League career |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Appearances |
Goals |
|
24/25 |
26 |
3 |
|
23/24 |
32 |
7 |
|
22/23 |
17 |
2 |
|
21/22 |
17 |
5 |
|
20/21 |
33 |
16 |
|
19/20 |
36 |
13 |
|
18/19 |
35 |
6 |
|
17/18 |
32 |
4 |
|
16/17 |
11 |
1 |
As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin is an incredibly experienced Premier League forward who has scored plenty of goals at the level, albeit not as consistently as he may have liked.
United cannot expect, without European football, to sign a top-quality centre-forward who can score 20 or more goals to come in and sit on the bench behind Sesko week-in-week-out, potentially only getting run-outs as a substitute.
That is why signing a striker like Calvert-Lewin to replace Hojlund as a back-up could be the perfect stop-gap for the 2025/26 campaign, before they can address it next year.
The plan could be to sign the English forward on a one-year deal, as a free agent, to provide an experienced and proven back-up centre-forward presence, and hope that the team qualifies for the Champions League, or another European competition.
Then they could go back into the market next summer knowing that they would have more football to offer a back-up option, which could attract a higher calibre of striker to compete with Sesko, knowing that they will still get game time.
Therefore, signing Calvert-Lewin may not be an exciting prospect, given his three-goal haul last season and the fact that he is a free agent, but he could be a shrewd short-term addition for Amorim.
