Erik ten Hag is reportedly ready to splash the cash which Manchester United will soon save on Cristiano Ronaldo 's wages during the January transfer window.
The Red Devils finally reached an agreement with legendary No.7 Ronaldo on Tuesday and terminated his £480,000-a-week contract. United's long-awaited decision means that they'll save a cool £16million between now and the end of the season, boosting manager Ten Hag's transfer kitty for the winter window.
Despite scoring just three goals for the Red Devils this season before his acrimonious exit, Ronaldo was often the Red Devils' starting striker, with Ten Hag limited in his options up front due to the frequent absence of Anthony Martial. Now, though, United are searching for a long-term heir in the strike role and have turned to someone who they recently missed out on.
Red Bull Salzburg wonderkid Benjamin Sesko is an early contender to become Ronaldo's replacement, according to The Telegraph. The 19-year-old Slovenian was purchased by Salzburg's sister club, RB Leipzig, for around £21.6m in August before immediately being loaned back to the Austrian side.
In spite of the fact he's now owned by Leipzig, Sesko remains on Ten Hag's shortlist and the Red Devils are believed to retain an interest in signing him, however unlikely. After scoring five goals in 17 games at international level, the Slovenia starlet's stock is only rising and Leipzig are already braced for offers.
Right now, though, Sesko's head is firmly in Salzburg. Upon completing his transfer to the Bundesliga outfit, the 6ft 4in striker - likened to Erling Haaland - declared: "My focus is on the season in Salzburg, and I’d like to develop my game further and be as successful as possible."
Have your say! Who should Man Utd sign to replace Ronaldo? Give us your pick in the comments section.
Sesko isn't the only signing that Ten Hag is hoping for in January either. The United boss is keen to strengthen his options in the right-back position and offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who's been given just four minutes of Premier League football this season and finds himself surplus to requirements after joining the Devils from boyhood club Crystal Palace for £50m in 2019.
Ten Hag is currently plotting his transfer business while the World Cup takes place in Qatar, having offered a hint at his plans for January before most of his squad broke off until late December. "In the background, we always continue a process, working on the squad," the Dutchman recently affirmed. "We want to have top sport culture and you see and examine how you can improve, and that's what we will do."
United spent an eye-watering £229m and brought in six new players during Ten Hag's first transfer window this past summer, all of whom have had positive impacts at Old Trafford to various degrees.
