Manchester Untied have reached an agreement in principle to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, with the 22-year-old set to arrive in the coming days to complete a medical
Benjamin Sesko turned down a bigger money offer from Newcastle, such was his desire to instead sign for Manchester United. The RB Leipzig striker is to sign a five-year contract at Old Trafford with the dramatic transfer saga reaching its conclusion.
Sesko will complete Ruben Amorim’s attacking overhaul, joining in a deal that could eventually reach £74million. The Bundesliga club have accepted a bid worth £66.4m up front and a further £7.6m in add-ons to sign.
The Slovenian will arrive in Manchester for a medical after deciding against signing for their Premier League rivals Newcastle. Eddie Howe’s side opened the bidding war earlier this week, offering £71m up front and more in incentives.
And with Leipzig accepting both offers, it came down to the 22-year-old to make the final decision on his destination. But despite Newcastle boasting Champions League football, the Red Devils have won the race.
After missing out on Europe altogether following their defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final, there was apprehension they would be unable to land some of their top targets. Instead, Sesko was so enamoured with making the move to Manchester, he is leaving money on the table.
Sky Sports Germany claim that Newcastle’s contract offer was worth more than the proposal from Old Trafford bosses, with the striker happy to waive a portion of his salary. There is also an understanding that the player’s agency was willing to give up a significant share of the commission in order to get a deal over the line.
He will join Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, who signed from Wolves and Brentford respectively, in a new look Manchester United attack worth more than £200m. Amorim made attacking reinforcements his number one priority this summer after a dismal season which saw them finish 15th and score just 44 league goals in the process.
Amorim's attention can now turn towards a new midfield player, with Brighton's Carlos Baleba at the top of their wishlist. The 21-year-old is the latest Seagulls star tipped for massive things, following the sales of players like Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Joao Pedro.
Baleba has three years remaining on his deal at The Amex, with Brighton unwilling to sell at this point. Nevertheless, contact has been made via intermediaries with the Red Devils boss desperate to add extra dynamism in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have been left licking their wounds again after yet another near miss in the summer window. Howe had hoped for a transformative window on Tyneside after returning to Europe's elite with a top-four finish.
However, they have now missed out on a host of their top targets, with the future of star striker Alexander Isak remaining up in the air. The Magpies had initially targeted France international Hugo Ekitike, with the idea of pairing him up front with Isak.
Instead, Ekitike made the move to Liverpool, with Anfield bosses now hoping to double down and snatch Isak from St James' Park as well. The Sweden international missed the club's tour of Asia and has been asked to train away from team-mates since their return.