Man Utd and Newcastle sent clear message about Sesko's family - 'I'm afraid'

Manchester United are keen on signing RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko this summer, but they face a battle with Newcastle United for his signature

Stuart Pearce looked back on his experience as a football manager and offered one cruel fact all clubs must remember - most players and their families want to live in London, Manchester and other major cities in the UK.

Manchester United, despite missing out on many targets this summer, have, so far, successfully secured the services of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Ruben Amorim is also on the hunt for a new striker, with Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko high on their list.

Since Alexander Isak informed Newcastle United that he would like to leave, the Magpies have been linked with a move for Sesko. Eddie Howe's side are in a position to offer Champions League football and the involvement in a football project which has been amassing a huge amount of momentum.

But while United are not in Europe's elite cup competition next season, Pearce believes Manchester's vibrant city life still provides clubs like United with a bargaining chip in attracting players. "I found out through my experience as a manager in the Premier League that players want to play in the Champions League," Pearce told the Manchester Evening News. "That's a big part of what they want to do.

"That's the first thing (they ask). 'Are you in the Champions League?' A lot of players want to be near the big cities. They want to be near Manchester, they want to be in London and their families want to be there.

"You're fighting, geographically, if you are up in Newcastle and that's just the nature of a footballer's mentality, I'm afraid. They might be drawn to whether they have friends at other clubs as well, or friends of their wives and families are a big part of that.

"There are a lot of things to contend with. More so than what you see in front of your eyes on some occasions."

United appear to be embroiled in a transfer battle with Newcastle for Sesko's services. The promising Slovenian is amongst Europe's most coveted prospects and had previously caught Arsenal's eye, before the Gunners shifted their focus towards securing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP.

Newcastle's summer dealings hint they may be waging an uphill struggle in their pursuit of Sesko. Whilst they did secure former United winger Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £55m, the majority of their priority targets have rejected the club's advances.

Joao Pedro, Mbeumo, Liam Delap, Cunha and, most recently, James Trafford were all courted by the Magpies, but opted join Chelsea, United and Manchester City. Now the Magpies – who are competing in the Champions League – face the prospect of losing star striker Isak.

Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal and Liverpool are the leading contenders for his services. The player reportedly carries a colossal price tag of around £150m, which would make him the most expensive Premier League of all time, by a huge distance.

Isak was notably absent from Newcastle's pre-season tour to Asia with his teammates. Howe has consistently maintained that the star is not on the market, but concedes that his influence over the situation is limited.

He recently said: "He is still our player. He's contracted to us. We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that's not in my full control."