Manchester United look set to beat Newcastle to another striker after Ruben Amorim’s side won the race for Benjamin Sesko last week.
Sesko was given a straight choice between the two and opted for United despite their worst-ever Premier League finish last term and Newcastle’s offer of Champions League football.
The Magpies were also keen on Bryan Mbeumo, who moved to Old Trafford from Brentford earlier in the summer, and now could be beaten by the Red Devils to free agent Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Ben Jacobs revealed interest from Newcastle in Calvert-Lewin last month, writing on X: ‘Newcastle retain an interest in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but are reticent to meet his terms. Nothing is advanced currently, nor has a new offer been presented to Calvert-Lewin so far. #NUFC are still assessing several options after missing out on Joao Pedro, and learning Callum Wilson would not extend.’
‘A move will only progress if Calvert-Lewin reduces his terms from 12 months ago when #NUFC made a concrete offer. And even then, Newcastle are somewhat wary of Calvert-Lewin’s injury record.’
Around the same time in early July, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano gave an update on Man Utd interest in Calvert-Lewin, he said: “What happened with Calvert-Lewin is that the player has been offered to Manchester United.
“It’s not that Man United started negotiations for Calvert-Lewin as new striker. The player has been offered as an opportunity on a free transfer, a cheap opportunity for a player who has experience, knows the league and can be helpful for any club.
“So Man United registered the eventual cost of the deal. It means, obviously, the salary, the commission, the intention of the player, who would be, obviously, very open and excited to join Manchester United eventually in this summer transfer window.
“But at the moment, it’s not yet a concrete negotiation.”
CaughtOffside claimed on Sunday that Man Utd are considering the England international ‘as back-up option’, ‘exploring the possibility of adding Calvert-Lewin to Ruben Amorim’s squad as a depth option in attack’.
The website insist Newcastle could still be an option and add on Man Utd interest: ‘The new United boss is keen on having a strong rotational setup, viewing the former Everton man as a capable third or fourth-choice striker who could provide valuable cover across a long season.’
And The Sun now claim Calvert-Lewin has ‘ditched his representative and is hoping for a deal at Manchester United’, opting to ‘do his own transfer negotiations as he looks for a new club’.