Manchester United have bid €75 million plus add-ons for their long-term target Benjamin Sesko, the 22-year-old Slovenian who plays for RB Leipzig in Germany’s Bundesliga.
United understand that the player wants to move to Old Trafford and hope that it goes through in the same manner as Bryan Mbeumo’s recent protracted transfer.
His club, Brentford, wanted others to bid for him and create an auction situation, but United knew all along that the forward desired a move to Old Trafford – even after he had spoken to other clubs.
This has not always been the case. United pursued Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong for much of the 2022 summer transfer window.
While his club were prepared to sell and the fees were not an issue, De Jong was happy at Barcelona and had little desire to leave – and he remained at Camp Nou. United signed Casemiro from Real Madrid late on in the transfer window instead.
The Red Devils face competition for Sesko from Newcastle United who are understood to have been trying to do a deal with his club to force both the player’s hand and Manchester United’s.
The Old Trafford club feel their valuation is right. Newcastle have money to spend, Champions League football to offer but there is an air of desperation given their lead striker Alexander Isak may depart for Liverpool.
The Magpies have also missed out on a succession of other targets in this transfer window – including Mbeumo and fellow summer arrival at Old Trafford, Matheus Cunha.
It may be that Newcastle, who won a first trophy since 1969 in March, bid so much that Manchester United won’t be willing to compete on price – or that Leipzig ask for so much that they price him out of a move this summer. Sesko has a contract at the German club until 2029.
That Manchester United can afford to bid for the player after two big outlays already this summer is down to their cash and PSR [profit and sustainability rules] position being improved by Marcus Rashford going on loan to Barcelona, with his full wages paid.
There were also sell-on fees for Anthony Elanga, Alvaro Carreras and Maxi Oyedele. The transfers of Cunha and Mbeumo will also be paid over multiple instalments with payments spread. United have also experienced a reduction in the wage bill since January with loan exits and wider club costs cut.
United have tried to sign Sesko three times before. He was the number one target as recently as last year, a player considered a top-quality long-term option.
Even then, United reckoned that he would cost €75m, but there were difficulties dealing with his agent who did not want Sesko to move to England when he was too young.
They believed that if he continued to play well in Germany then United would return with a far more lucrative payday down the line. With two English teams now bidding for the player, they may have got that right.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
Ovarian tissue surgically removed
Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Other key dates
Finals draw: December 2
Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
More from Rashmee Roshan LallDhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
Brighton College Abu Dhabi – Dh68,560
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) – Dh54,170
Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The National’s picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young