Manchester United and Newcastle Lock Horns Over Sesko
The race is heating up for Benjamin Sesko, the young Slovenian forward who has become one of Europe's hottest transfer prospects. Manchester United have put a Benjamin Sesko bid valued at £73.9 million on the table, breaking it down into an initial £65 million and £8.9 million in performance-linked extras. That puts them just ahead of Newcastle United, who came back with a £69.7 million offer plus additional incentives after their first attempt fell short.
The dynamic gets interesting because word from inside RB Leipzig is that officials are still deep in discussions. They're weighing not just the numbers, but the finer details of each offer. In the background, Sesko himself appears to have shown his cards—he's leaning toward Manchester United. He’s already skipped Leipzig's pre-season games, including a match against Atalanta, and is training alone. That behavior usually sits atop the transfer bingo card—he wants out, and a decision is getting close.
What’s Happening at Newcastle?
Newcastle's angle on this move is a bit more complicated. Their pursuit depends on what happens with Alexander Isak. Liverpool just offered a monster £110 million for Isak, but Newcastle turned that down. Even so, things move fast at the top end of the Premier League, so Newcastle aren’t being passive. If Isak goes, or if they can get the numbers right, Sesko is their prime target. But they’re also realistic, so they’re looking around. That’s where Brentford’s Yoane Wissa comes in—he missed a friendly recently, which has set off the transfer alarm bells. Newcastle could pivot to Wissa or someone else if they can't land their first choice.
The whole saga has Old Trafford regulars reminiscing about previous transfer chases, especially when United tried to sign Erling Haaland back in 2021. The price structure and approach mirror that chase: big money up front, bonuses on top, an eye for this up-and-coming striker archetype. It's not just the amount—it’s how United are going about it, and fans remember how competitive those deals can get when other Premier League clubs are circling the same prey.
If you rewind a bit, you’ll see Leipzig’s approach to this whole thing has been about maximizing returns and not getting bullied into a quick sale. But with Sesko away from the squad and tensions mounting, a resolution looks to be around the corner—possibly with United welcoming in one of the summer's marquee signings.
