Why Benjamin Sesko is now Man United's top transfer target
United had narrowed down their search for a No 9 to the Slovenian and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins before deciding to prioritise a move for the 22-year-old.
Sesko is also of interest to Newcastle, who are looking for a centre-forward after missing out on a host of targets and with doubts about the future of Alexander Isak.
The former Red Bull Salzburg player was long under consideration by Arsenal before they instead decided to buy Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP.
United have already spent £133m on two attackers this summer, in Matheus Cunha from Wolves and Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, but they are likelier to occupy the roles as the two No 10s in head coach Ruben Amorim 's preferred 3-4-3 formation.
Their two main options to operate as a No 9 last season, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, scored just seven Premier League goals between them as the team only mustered 44.
Sesko scored 21 times for Leipzig last season, 13 of them in the Bundesliga, and United have turned to him after missing out on Liam Delap, who joined Chelsea instead.
He is seven years younger than Watkins but could command a price of over £60m and take United's summer spending to around £200m.
They are also trying to sell players this summer but while Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan, the unwanted quartet of Jadon Sancho, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia are all still at the club. None was taken on the pre-season tour of the United States.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
26 minutes ago
- Metro
Newcastle make improved Benjamin Sesko bid amid transfer race with Man Utd
Newcastle United have made a second bid for Benjamin Sesko worth €80m (£69.7m) plus €10m (£8.7m) in add-ons, according to reports. The Magpies are in a transfer race with Manchester United to sign the RB Leipzig striker and are now in a 'strong position' to land his signature. That's according to The Athletic, although it should be noted that Sesko has not yet made a final decision on which club to join this summer. The Daily Mail report Newcastle have been told that Sesko is 'willing to sign' for them – and the club are now hoping to agree personal terms in the next 24 hours. Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, though, claims the Red Devils will make their own bid for Sesko if the player decides to pick them instead. In The Mixer: Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every week – click here and sign up before Friday to make sure you don't miss the first edition. It's thought that all outcomes are still possible – and that the Slovenia international's preference will be crucial to any deal. Sesko is the No.1 transfer target for both Newcastle and Ruben Amorim's side this summer, with both clubs keen to recruit a new striker. It was quite a tough season for Leipzig last term, which forced them to change coach after a disappointing Champions League campaign. They were struggling, which reflected on Sesko's output, but he's still been one of their best and most consistent players. Sesko's strengths are certainly his physicality and speed – he's great at making dangerous runs in behind defences, but he's also a very clinical and instinctive finisher, especially when the ball drops to him in the area. His work rate is good and he's a willing runner off the ball as well. His hold-up play is quite strong, but I think his link-up play is a side of his game that he can still improve. It's not that he's bad at that side of the game, but compared to someone like Arsenal's Kai Havertz, he's not at that level. But during his young career, he's shown he can take those steps forward. His mentality is definitely a strength – he's a player who wants to learn and wants to improve so in that sense he will be a quick learner. Rune Gjerulff, German football expert and editor of Bulinews The Red Devils had been considering a move for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins but decided to focus on a deal for Sesko instead. Newcastle, meanwhile, ramped up their interest in Sesko after Alexander Isak told Eddie Howe's side that he wished to depart St James' Park. Sesko, 22, has conjured up 39 goals and eight assists across 87 games for German club Leipzig to date. Alan Shearer believes the Red Devils and his beloved Newcastle are making significant 'gambles' in their pursuit of Sesko this summer. More Trending Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast: 'With Sesko, I know he's young, but that would be a gamble because you're going to have to pay a decent sized fee. 'I saw him two or three times in the Champions League last season and there's definitely room for improvement. 'Yes, there's certainly a talent there but there's a lot improvement that can be made as well. 'You're bringing someone who's unknown into the Premier League and that's always a bit of a risk.' MORE: Rio Ferdinand fires warning to Eberechi Eze over Arsenal transfer this summer MORE: Liverpool pay tribute to Diogo Jota in first match at Anfield since his death MORE: Arsenal to make significant loss as they begin talks to sell £35m flop
Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Newcastle launch improved bid for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko
Newcastle have raised their bid for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. Manchester United had still to submit a formal offer for the Slovenia international as of Monday afternoon. Newcastle's first bid was worth an initial €75m (£65.5m) with a further €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons but the Tyneside club are now guaranteeing the Bundesliga club at least €80m. United opted to prioritise a move for Sesko over Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins but the 22-year-old's price tag is creeping up now Newcastle have increased their initial offer. Newcastle co-owner Jamie Reuben is said to have held positive talks with Leipzig on Monday. Sesko is thought to be waiting to see what United do before making a final decision on his future. However, Leipzig are reported to be unwilling to sell Sesko below their stated expectations on a fee. On Sunday, Omar Berrada, the United chief executive, said the club's director of football Jason Wilcox and his recruitment team were working 'around the clock' to make further additions to the squad. United wanted to sign Liam Delap at the start of the season but the striker turned them down in order to join Chelsea from Ipswich for £30m. 'We have a team back home led by Jason – the recruitment team – that is working around the clock to ensure that we continue to find opportunities to strengthen our squad. There are lots of late calls and early morning meetings to make sure that we stay on top of it.' Newcastle's move for Sesko comes amid continuing uncertainty over the future of Alexander Isak. The Sweden striker has signalled his desire to leave St James' Park. Liverpool had a £110m bid for Isak rejected last Friday.
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Crystal Palace DELETE all information about Conference League from their website just hours after draw - ahead of CAS battle with Nottingham Forest to be reinstated into Europa League
Crystal Palace have distanced themselves from the UEFA Conference League – just hours after being drawn in the competition's play-off round. On Monday afternoon, Palace's official website briefly published an article detailing their potential opponents in Europe. Monday's draw paired the Eagles with either Norwegian side Fredrikstad or Danish club Midtjylland, with the first leg scheduled for August 21 at Selhurst Park and the return fixture a week later on August 28. But by Monday evening, that article had been deleted. The original link now returns a 404 error, reading: 'The page you're looking for has either been moved, deleted or simply doesn't exist.' In addition, no European dates are listed on the club's online fixture schedule. The removal of the content underlines Palace's resistance to playing in the Conference League, with the club still fighting to overturn their controversial demotion from the Europa League. Palace have taken UEFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being bumped down a tier due to multi-club ownership rules. The club were removed from the Europa League because American businessman John Textor — through his Eagle Football Holdings group — held a 43.9 per cent stake in Palace while also owning 77 per cent of French side Lyon. But Palace have since deleted any mention of the Conference League draw from their website Both clubs had qualified for the Europa League, and UEFA rules prohibit two teams under the same ownership or influence from competing in the same European competition. With that in mind, UEFA chose to keep Lyon in the tournament and demoted Palace to the Conference League. Lyon were deemed the 'priority club' due to Textor's majority control, and because UEFA's MCO rules state that the club with the higher domestic league finish retains its place. Lyon had finished sixth in Ligue 1, while Palace were 12th in the Premier League — even though Palace qualified via the FA Cup. Palace argue that UEFA's application of the MCO regulations contradicts its own competition rules, and have taken their case to CAS, where a hearing will take place on Friday, with a verdict expected next Monday. Palace say Textor had no controlling interest in the club, with only 25 per cent voting rights, and that the issue has since been resolved — with New York Jets owner Woody Johnson signing a legally binding agreement to buy the shares, pending Premier League approval. Speaking to Reuters last month Textor said: 'Honestly, I am stunned. We did everything possible to separate from the club, as UEFA would ask, with a sale process that began before the deadline, and a sale that will occur well before the draw. Now we have sold out of a club that I love, to help Palace fans continue this dream year, only to have another off-the-pitch decision lay waste to an historic sporting victory.' Club chairman Steve Parish also hit out at the ruling, calling it 'a terrible injustice.' He told Sky Sports: 'Everyone knows we're not part of a multi-club set-up. We're caught up in a rule that wasn't put there for us. This is a ludicrous decision. We will ask the appeal court to listen to our argument.' Palace also believe they were treated more harshly than Nottingham Forest, who were granted extra time to adjust their ownership structure to avoid a potential conflict with Olympiacos, also owned by Evangelos Marinakis. In the end, Olympiacos qualified for the Champions League, meaning no clash with Forest ever materialised. Forest, who initially qualified for the Conference League, have been promoted to the Europa League, subject to Palace's appeal outcome. Mail Sport understands Forest will send legal representatives to the CAS hearing to defend their place in the competition. The case is part of a broader crackdown by UEFA on multi-club ownership. Previously, clubs like Manchester City and Girona, and Manchester United and Nice, were allowed to compete in Europe by placing one club in a blind trust, preventing any operational crossover. But UEFA has signalled this will no longer be a viable long-term solution. UEFA quietly moved the compliance deadline forward from June 1 to March 1 for the 2024–25 season — and Palace argue that they were caught out by this change, having only reached the fifth round of the FA Cup by the March deadline and still being uncertain of European qualification.
