Manchester United Reach Agreement in Principle to Sign RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko

 

Manchester United have reached an agreement in principle with RB Leipzig to sign highly-rated forward Benjamin Sesko. The 22-year-old Slovenian striker is expected to sign a five-year contract with the Premier League side.

The deal is structured as an initial £66.3 million (€76.5 million), with an additional £7.37 million (€8.5 million) in performance-related add-ons.

Sesko arrived in the UK on Thursday night and is scheduled to undergo a medical within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Newcastle United were also in the race for the striker and submitted a second bid worth £69.7 million plus add-ons earlier this week, surpassing United’s offer. However, Manchester United managed to secure the player’s commitment, avoiding a bidding war by agreeing a more favorable up-front payment with RB Leipzig.

According to club sources, United are thrilled with the outcome, especially given Sesko’s strong desire to join the club. His enthusiasm reportedly impressed Manchester United officials, who have consistently maintained that they are only targeting players who are fully committed to the club's long-term vision—regardless of Champions League status.

Key figures in finalizing the deal included United’s director of football Jason Wilcox, director of recruitment Christopher Vivell, and chief negotiator Matt Hargreaves, who traveled to Leipzig to complete negotiations. Talks were described as smooth and professional, and accelerated once Sesko made it clear he had no interest in joining any other club.

The striker was notably absent from RB Leipzig’s recent pre-season friendly against Atalanta and has been training away from the main squad, signaling his imminent departure.

Sesko’s move to Manchester United could affect other high-profile transfers—most notably that of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak. Newcastle are reportedly only willing to part with Isak if they secure a ready-made replacement. With Sesko now unavailable, a move for Isak—who had attracted a rejected £110 million bid from Liverpool—may now be off the table.

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Source: Sky Sports