Barcelona already annoyed Manchester United by refusing to pay Marcus Rashford’s buy option. Now they want Benjamin Sesko too. Good luck with that.
The relationship between these two clubs is basically one awkward group chat that nobody wants to be in. United has been waiting weeks for Barcelona to figure out what they’re doing with Rashford. The 28-year-old forward spent last season on loan at Camp Nou, scored 14 goals and added 14 assists, helped them win LaLiga again, and Barcelona still balked at the £26 million clause in his loan deal. Instead of triggering it, they tried to negotiate a cheaper price or another loan. United told them no.
Rashford will be back at Old Trafford after the World Cup ends next month. That’s awkward for everyone. INEOS is already trying to move him since he’s the highest-paid player left on the roster after Casemiro went to Inter Miami. But Barcelona’s refusal to pay what most people would call a reasonable fee for a proven goalscorer is harder to swallow now that they dropped £70 million on Anthony Gordon. United’s front office had to be confused by that math.
Now Sesko is on their radar
According to MARCA, Barcelona has identified Sesko as a potential backup option if they can’t land Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. They already offered £87 million for Alvarez. Atletico said no. Then Real Madrid apparently offered £113 million and also got rejected, though some sources in Madrid aren’t sure that bid was real. Atleti wants £130 million for the Argentine, which is a lot even for a club that just found £70 million under the couch cushions for Gordon.
If that deal falls through, Barcelona’s shortlist includes Serhou Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund, Etta Eyong from Levante, and Sesko. The problem for Barcelona is that Sesko is not available. Not for a price they’d want to pay anyway.
United spent £74 million to bring Sesko from RB Leipzig last year. He’s 22, playing out of his mind under Michael Carrick, and looks ready to be a serious problem for Premier League defenses next season. To get United to even answer the phone, Barcelona would need to offer significantly more than that. And if they see a Catalan area code, they might just hang up immediately.
Eyong is actually a United target too, by the way. They want him as competition for Sesko because Joshua Zirkzee is likely headed back to Italy if a decent offer comes in. But United wants a more experienced forward as the priority there, not a 22-year-old.
The bottom line is that Barcelona burned whatever goodwill they had left with United over the Rashford situation. Asking about Sesko now feels like walking into a bar after punching the bouncer and expecting him to buy you a drink. It’s not happening.
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