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Manchester United to revive Benjamin Sesko interest despite RB Leipzig agreement?

Man United to revive Sesko interest despite Leipzig agreement?
© Reuters
Manchester United are reportedly among a number of clubs who will consider making an offer to sign Benjamin Sesko, who has already agreed to join RB Leipzig next summer.

Manchester United are reportedly among a number of top European clubs who will consider making an offer to sign striker Benjamin Sesko, who has already agreed to join RB Leipzig next summer.

The 19-year-old, who is currently on loan with Red Bull Salzburg, has signed a pre-contract agreement to join the Bundesliga club ahead of the 2023-24 campaign for an initial fee of around €24m (£21m).

However, 90min claims that Man United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich all still hold an interest in the Slovenia international and they will contemplate tabling a bid in the New Year to tempt Leipzig into selling before he has even kicked a ball for the German outfit.

The report adds that Leipzig could demand a fee of up to €60m, which would see them make a significant profit on the highly-rated teenager.

Amid speculation over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik ten Hag's side were strongly linked with a move to sign Sesko over the summer and were understood to have held talks with the player's family and agent Elvis Basanovic.

Slovenia's Benjamin Sesko acknowledges fans after the match on September 24, 2022© Reuters

Prior to joining Salzburg in 2019, Basanovic revealed that several "really big clubs" attempted to sign the striker as a 16-year-old.

"We had a lot of offers from really big clubs," Basanovic told SPOX. "Had we decided on the money, Benjamin would have moved to England or Italy.

"But we decided to look at the bigger picture and the Salzburg project. The biggest clubs in Europe tried to get him. The interest in him was huge; I have never seen anything like it before."

Sesko scored 13 goals and registered eight assists in 41 matches for Salzburg during his breakthrough season in 2021-22, form which caught the eye of sister club Leipzig over the summer.

Prising Sesko away from Leipzig so shortly after reaching an agreement to join them may prove challenging for potential suitors, as the 6ft 4in striker believes that he has made the "right decision" in moving to the German club at this stage of his career.

"RB Leipzig are one of the best clubs in Germany and are establishing themselves as one of the best in Europe year on year. A success story has been written here in just a few years and I want to be a part of it in the future," Sesko told the club's official website in August.

Slovenia's Benjamin Sesko pictured in October 2021© Reuters

"The club's philosophy of placing trust in young players and playing attractive, attacking football is a perfect fit for me. The city, the stadium and the whole infrastructure at RB Leipzig, as well as the many good discussions with the club, convinced me that this move is absolutely the right decision.

"My focus is now on the season with Salzburg, that I want to use to continue developing and be as successful as possible."

Man United are understood to have drawn up a list of attacking targets ahead of the next transfer window, with Sesko the latest name to join PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo and Benfica's Goncalo Ramos on their watchlist.

Chelsea, meanwhile, added 33-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to their ranks over the summer, but it is through that Graham Potter is keen to enter the market for a younger alternative, with Sesko regarded as a potential target.

As for Bayern Munich, they are another club to have identified Sesko as a possible candidate to replace Robert Lewandowski, who left the club after eight goal-laden years to join Barcelona in the summer.

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Written by
Oliver Thomas

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