RB Leipzig have publicly discussed the battle for Benjamin Sesko for the first time, with Manchester United stepping up their pursuit and Newcastle United having a formal offer rejected.
Man Utd have landed on Sesko as their No 1 striker target after missing out on other goalscorers such as Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres. Man Utd’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, is driving the move for Sesko as he previously signed the player for Leipzig.
Man Utd are also admirers of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, but they are prioritising a move for Sesko at this stage.
The Red Devils have entered into a transfer battle with Newcastle as Eddie Howe’s side want Sesko to be their replacement for Liverpool target Alexander Isak.
Newcastle sent their opening bid for Sesko on Saturday, putting a deal worth €75million plus €5m in add-ons (a total package worth £70m) on the table.
However, this was snubbed as it did not quite meet Leipzig’s demands.
The Bundesliga club have set their asking price at €80m but want a better financial structure and a sell-on clause.
The two sides remain in negotiations, though Man Utd have opened talks with Leipzig too and could disrupt Newcastle’s move.
Sesko was left out of the Leipzig squad for their pre-season game against Atalanta on Saturday and their managing director, Marcel Schafer, was asked about the Slovenia star after the match.
He confirmed that several teams have made contact for Sesko, which includes Man Utd and Newcastle.
“We won’t go into detail on that but when I say that several clubs have shown strong interest and have made approaches, it’s obvious what has happened,” Schafer said (via Sky Sports).
Sky Sports’ Keith Downie has revealed that Sesko’s agent travelled to Leipzig overnight to hold crunch talks with the German club.
He wants the best move for his client and is well aware of strong interest from both Man Utd and Newcastle.
Ben Jacobs has reported that some at Newcastle are ‘fearful’ Sesko will pick Man Utd over them. While Man Utd cannot offer any European football, the move is clearly glamorous as they are one of the biggest clubs in the world.
The 22-year-old is currently deciding which Premier League club to join, with a final decision set to arrive in the coming days.
Benjamin Sesko could snub Newcastle for Man Utd
Numerous outlets have reported that he is leaning towards Man Utd, which would be a major blow for Newcastle.
Man Utd have indicated to both Sesko and Leipzig that they are ready to submit an offer should the forward choose them.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Saturday that Ruben Amorim’s side are ‘working on a deal’ and are in ‘direct contact’ with Leipzig.
It emerged recently that Leipzig would love to make Rasmus Hojlund their replacement for Sesko, but the Dane does not want to leave Old Trafford.
Arsenal came close to signing Sesko earlier in the transfer window. They ultimately could not agree a deal though and this has served as a warning to Man Utd.
