Manchester United buying Benjamin Sesko won't please Gary Neville after his statement

Gary Neville's hopes of Manchester United buying six new players look set to be over with Benjamin Sesko on the verge of a move to Old Trafford. Ruben Amorim's side are leading the race to sign the Slovenian, who has chosen the Red Devils over Newcastle United.

Eddie Howe seemed to have the upper hand in securing his signature after RB Leipzig accepted their £78million offer. United have put forward a package believed to be around £73.8m, which the German side are yet to accept. If Sesko signs, he will be the fourth addition to Old Trafford this summer, following Paraguayan left-back Diego Leon, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. While some may view this as a successful transfer window, Neville previously said United needed half a dozen new recruits to improve their side.

There's still a possibility that United could bring in more players, including Sesko, before the transfer window shuts. However, the majority, if not all, of United's budget will likely be allocated to the Sesko deal, making Neville's hopes of at least two more signings seem improbable.

United are expected to bolster their goalkeeping ranks next, but will probably only sign a backup for Andre Onana. If Neville's previous comments are anything to go by, these arrivals will not be enough to fill him with confidence.

"Five or six players minimum [are needed] to be able to change the direction of how he (Amorim) wants to play," Neville previously said. "There's at least two forwards, a central midfield player, definitely two wing backs and another centre-back.

"They need six players minimum. Ruben has been very good at identifying the players he wants out of the club; that's really clear to everybody. The club's job now is to get them out and get replacements in that he likes and wants in his team."

Neville isn't the only pundit believing United's recruitment department must deliver additional signings. Gary Lineker declared this week that they 'needed a lot more,' whilst Alan Shearer stated on : "Two good signings...they need at least another three, I would say. They need a top-class centre-forward and a goalkeeper."

Should a deal for Sesko materialise, United will have captured three attackers and one left wing-back. However, Leon is only 18 years old so it remains unclear whether United view him as a first-team prospect or someone who will be placed into their under-21s setup.

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If Sesko completes his switch, United's transfer expenditure will exceed the £200m threshold, which may well end their spending spree unless they can generate substantial fees from selling the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony. Amorim has mainly focussed on bolstering United's goal-shy attack, which only scored 44 Premier League goals last season.

Despite the improvements up front, Neville feels the midfield and defence also require reinforcements. Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville said: "Manchester United over the last ten or 11 years have accepted a position whereby they've made mistakes in the transfer market or in recruitment or they've held onto players too long.

"It would seem that what's happening now is Ruben Amorim is identifying players he does not want in the squad and he's moving them out. That's a positive and on paper I do like the signings of Cunha and Mbeumo.

"Why do I like them? They've got Premier League experience, they look more like Manchester United styles of players with a bit more pace and power and the physicality to get from box to box quickly.

"I think when you look at Garnacho, Sancho and Antony are more jinkers, more people who work in tight spaces. I've always felt that United need players that can open their legs up and really stretch teams and I think Cunha and Mbeumo do that."

With the new season looming, United's refreshed squad and established talents must hit the ground running. Their opening six fixtures include challenging home games against Arsenal, Burnley and Chelsea, as well as tough away matches facing Fulham, Manchester City and Brentford.