22-year-old’s signing takes the cost of United’s newly assembled frontline to upwards of £200m
Manchester United have reached an agreement with RB Leipzig to sign striker Benjamin Sesko.
The deal is worth €76.5m up front, with an additional €8.5m in add-ons. Leipzig have granted Sesko permission to travel for a medical and finalise the transfer by the weekend.
Newcastle had also been interested in the striker and made two bids for him in the past month, the latest worth around €85m.
United swooped in to make a similar bid, ultimately leaving it to Sesko to decide which club he wanted to join.
The Slovenia international made it clear since Wednesday that his preference was United, and talks between United and Leipzig progressed quickly after that to decide the final structure of the deal.
The fee United agreed for the player has just a slightly lower upfront payment than Newcastle’s proposal, but the add-ons are easily attainable and match Leipzig’s valuation.
Newcastle have now missed out on another transfer window target, after having seen Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike, and James Trafford choose somewhere in the Premier League other than Tyneside.
In addition, the club’s striker Alexander Isak also wants to leave the Magpies and join Liverpool this summer.
Sesko scored 21 goals for Leipzig last season and has 39 goals in 87 appearances since joining from Red Bull Salzburg in 2023. United are understood to have been impressed by his pace, physicality and finishing and believe he is a good fit for Amorim’s system.
The 22-year-old joins Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to complete a frontline recruited this summer for upwards of £200m.
