Man Utd battle Tottenham for surprise striker after Benjamin Sesko confirmation

23 Sept 2026 20:02 BST | 5 min read

Roberto de Zerbi, Michael Carrick, Man Utd — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Tottenham and Manchester United are tracking SC Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic ahead of the January transfer window.

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Both clubs are facing a tricky situation at the centre-forward position. With Richarlison exiled, Tottenham have Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush available as striker options, but neither has managed to totally convince so far.

Solanke, who has struggled with injuries since joining Spurs, is back to full fitness, but he has been hugely disappointing when he has played. Marmoush, meanwhile, only joined in the latter stages of the summer window and has yet to make a meaningful impact.

Compared

Omar Marmoush

F (C)

Tottenham

Omar Marmoush

F (C)

Tottenham

VS

Benjamin Sesko

F (C)

Man Utd

Benjamin Sesko

F (C)

Man Utd

€44.5M	ETV	€56.2M
€40.1M - €49M	ETV Range	€50.6M - €61.8M
27 years old (07 Feb, 1999)	Age	23 years old (31 May, 2003)
Egypt	Nationality	Slovenia

The situation at Man Utd is slightly different. Joshua Zirkzee has been a huge flop and wanted to leave this summer, but he wasn't allowed to as the Red Devils couldn't source a replacement.

Then there's Benjamin Sesko. Like Solanke, he has struggled to be consistently fit and available since joining, and he is once again sidelined with a recurring shin problem. Earlier this week, the 23-year-old confirmed that he would miss Slovenia's matches in this international break.

Matanovic still an option

It has been suggested that Man Utd could dip into the market in January to add centre-forward cover. While that may not be an urgent priority - unless Zirkzee leaves - Sesko's fitness issues should be a growing concern.

Earlier this week, the Old Trafford club were linked with Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, but signing him would be a gamble given that he is 30 and would cost a pretty penny.

SC Freiburg star Igor Matanovic could be a more realistic option. The Red Devils have been associated with the Croatia international since the summer because he, simply put, scores goals.

Michael Carrick is said to be a huge admirer of the 23-year-old, who very much plays like a more old-school target man than Man Utd's current crop of forwards. Matanovic is already on six goals for the season.

However, Man Utd aren't his only suitors. In fact, according to Ben Jacobs, a January move to Tottenham may be more likely for the Freiburg star, although it is doubtful that the Bundesliga outfit would let him go easily.

"Tottenham are prepared to add another striker mid-season in the winter market if goals continue to dry up," Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT. "Richarlison doesn't appear to have a future at the football club, Roberto De Zerbi has been clear on his position there.

"And even though Marmoush has arrived, Igor Mantanovic and Tottenham could be one to watch, and as I exclusively revealed over the summer, Spurs and Manchester United both appreciate the player.

"He scored 15 goals for Freiburg last season, and he's got six goals in seven games already this campaign as well. He's big, he's tall, he's a target man, he's a little bit of a different profile to the kind of striker that Tottenham have already got.

"And yet there's no guarantee anything is going to be possible here mid-season. We're going to have to understand whether Tottenham are going to be really aggressive for a particular target in the winter market, or if they're going back to what they've got and then ultimately wait until the summer.

"My information as of now is that it's not ruled out they could add another source of goals mid-season, but of course, players are harder to get in the winter market than in the summer, due to the fact that there's less time and generally clubs with players they want to keep are less willing to sell mid-season because it can be highly disruptive.

"But Igor Mantanovic and Tottenham could potentially be one to watch, and they're assessing the situation now. They've got plenty of time before the winter market opens, but don't rule out the possibility of Tottenham adding another source of goals mid-season."