This summer really has been an absolute disaster, as things stand.
The season starts in 10 days, and today’s bad news now makes it SEVEN ‘top targets’ who have ended up signing for a ‘big six’ rival after serious and very public interest from Newcastle.
After Liam Delap, Matheus Cunha, Joao Pedro, Bryan Mbeumo, Hugo Ekitike and James Trafford, RB Leipzig Benjamin Sesko is about to join that list as he opts for Manchester United instead.
In a Wednesday morning update, The Athletic’s David Ornstein that all parties are now aware that Sesko is heading to Old Trafford after making it clear the Red Devils are his first choice.
To rub salt into the wounds, Ornstein reveals that RB Leipzig accepted Newcastle’s €82.5m + €2.5m bid for the Slovenian, but the player wants to join Man Utd and that move is now advancing.
Man Utd and Leipzig are yet to agree a fee, but an agreement is expected to be reached in what can only be described as another humiliating and time-consuming ordeal that’s strengthened a ‘big six’ rival and added to our mess.
Alexander Isak, Eddie Howe and the players are all due back in training today and I suspect some difficult conversations will be needed.
We must now decide whether to insist on Isak staying for another year or pursue alternatives. The issue is, are those alternatives the right ones, with Ollie Watkins, Goncalo Ramos, Nicolas Jackson and Samu Aghehowa all linked.
This transformative summer is turning into a tragic one, sadly.
I’m not surprised, but I still find it baffling that quality young players choose to go and end their careers before they’ve even started at Man Ure. Has he not looked at Hojlund? Zirkzee? Sancho? Antony?
Oh well, he’ll be on the Man Ure scrap heap in a couple of years (if that), earning a massive salary for nothing, and we’ll be glad we missed out.
Ian(Quote)
Why are all nufc transfers a saga every window is the same we are in a complete mess we have no clue how to conduct transfers or actually pick players we will be out of champions League at first hurdle struggle all season and finish if we’re lucky still in the premier lge
Bryan(Quote)
Was obviously going to happen, we need bodies and now everyone knows we are even more desperate, we’ll be over a barrell. The club have left it this late though and now we need to pay the price and over the odds. Get Wissa and any other body – Shefki Kuqi will do.
Newkie(Quote)
Well we really are in a mess now aren’t we! That Wissa price will have just gone up, Howe is now going to be left with reintegrating Isak – He very clearly fails the No D***kheads rule or move him on and go into the season a striker lighter than last season.
If what is being reported is true that we were being used in a “Poker” game, who is talking to the agents to see if they are genuinely interested in joining? Not the first time this summer that we are being used like this – I hope we are keeping an agent blacklist.
Leo88(Quote)
Liverpool fans are smug. Everyone of them you’ve ever met.
Isak will fit right in.
Geordie Jones(Quote)
How are we supposed to make any deal Happen if we are lacking a proper sport director?
We became a joke and this TW is a ******* joke.
Ralph(Quote)
Why join the Theatre of Memes?
Geordie Jones(Quote)
The salaries put up by NUFC are no way near to any of the elite teams. If they don’t improve on their salary structure, they will never reach the level of the elite teams. No rocket science
J(Quote)
Will Isak be as prolific at Liverpool?
Everything was aimed at him and through him at Newcastle, won’t be the same in their star studded team.
He is also likely to come in for some rough treatment 🤔and could miss a few games, missing a few games should suit him.
Joseph(Quote)
Despite the outpouring of grief and frustration I think we dodged an expensive bullet with sesko ., we get to keep isak and if we can get one off Olly’s list of forwards or wissa plus a centre back.. we will be fine .. please not Jackson or Watkins ..HWTL!!
Mike(Quote)
There is a forward in Jackson, just needs a proper coach Aghehowa would also do.
Joseph(Quote)
Ultimately unsurprising – money talks. What is surprising though is our inability to learn our lessons from the last transfer window. Allowing an DoF and CEO to leave without emplacements in post, messing around for days on end, bidding for targets that have no interest in joining, or would prefer to join others, seemingly leaking or allowing others to leak who were after, etc, etc. it’s not as if we didn’t know that we’ll be fighting on four fronts this season, and rather than strengthening, actually managing to weaken the squad takes Neolithic incompetence. No integration, coordination, and we’re now firmly in damage limitation mode, I fear.
Peaco(Quote)
I’m sound with sesko going man utd.
I hope we keep isak until at least January which ll give us time to sort out his replacement. He could even end up signing a new contract if liverpool have an average season.
I’m not convinced by any bundesliga players who’ve recently come to the premier league. Havertz,, nkunku, werner all came with huge reps and all flopped. I reckon the skinny lad Wirtz will as well.
Shhhhhhhh(Quote)
Joseph agree with you on Jackson definitely think there’s a striker in him Howe just the man to do it when you look at his record improving players with us
Darren Bebb(Quote)
The moment Manure put a bid in you just knew how this was all going to end.
We are now fighting over players with the big dogs and the biggest problem is there are no executive decision makers on the ground (no sporting director and a CEO serving out the longest notice in history) – there is nothing sitting between the junior staff trying to conduct transfer business and the owners. The focus and determination needed to propel the club forward is missing and this is leaving the club too slow to react in bidding and closing out deals.
Steve(Quote)
Agree you could add Hojlund to that as well and at 30m worth a punt imo.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
calvert lewin a free agent ….
Da9el88(Quote)