Red Bull Salzburg have told Manchester United they want 'one billion, Bruno Fernandes and mascot Fred the Red' for Benjamin Sesko in a hilarious tweet.
The Red Devils are reportedly interested in Sesko, 19, following a breakthrough season in Austria. The teenager scored 11 goals in all competitions to help Salzburg secure a league and cup double. He also made his senior debut for Slovenia, winning 13 caps to date.
Sesko showcased his ability in Salzburg's 1-0 victory against Liverpool on Wednesday evening, scoring a first-half winner. Standing at 6ft 4in, the teenager has been compared to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland with critics praising his physicality and pace.
There's been a lot of speculation about Sesko's future since rumours of United's interest emerged earlier this month. Salzburg's English Twitter account decided to act after seeing a tweet from journalist and so-called transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
In the tweet, Romano claimed United are "well informed" on Sesko and monitoring him. It's claimed they view him as "really talented" but an offer is not imminent. Romano boasts one of the most popular transfer accounts on Twitter with more than 10.3million followers.
Salzburg's account retweeted Romano and wrote: "We want 300 million plus Bruno [Fernandes]." Their offer was increased the following day, adding: "Update: We now want one billion, Bruno and Fred the Red for Sesko." Sadly, Romano did not reply.
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United have signed three players since the appointment of new manager Erik ten Hag earlier this summer - Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez. Sesko is unlikely to be the fourth, unless they are willing to sacrifice beloved mascot Fred the Red.
Joking aside, it's believed Salzburg have slapped a £55m price tag on Sesko. According to Transfermarkt, he's valued at £9m - although the Austrian outfit would not accept an offer that low. The teenager still has four years left on his existing deal.
Salzburg can offer Sesko something United can't - Champions League football. The Austrian side have already qualified for the group stage of this season's competition after reaching the knockout stages last term, losing 8-2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the last 16.
Speaking earlier this year, Sesko's agent Elvis Basanovic provided the inside track on his qualities. "Many compare him to Haaland, but I think they are different types of players," he said. "They are similar in physical construction and speed, but they are different players.
"Benjamin is more of a team player. He is maybe better technically with his skills, but Haaland is a bit more wild with his energy, in a positive sense. He remains a humble, hard-working boy.”
In a previous interview in Slovenia, Sesko added: "Such comparisons motivate me and give me energy. They do not represent pressure. I will listen and learn so I can be even better than he is. My team-mates at the club tell me that Haaland and I are very similar, especially in terms of speed. Most of them even tell me that I’m better than him!"
