Stuart Pearce believes Manchester United could have the advantage over Newcastle United in the race for Benjamin Sesko due to their geographical location.

"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."