Welcome to Manchester United, Benjamin Sesko

Manchester United look set to complete the signing of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko from under the noses of Newcastle, as per BBC. 
Sesko will become Ruben Amorim's fourth summer signing and will slot in as the spearhead of his new-look attacking trident with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo completing the triumvirate. 
Eddie Howe's Magpies seemed to be in pole position to land the lad from Leipzig as a replacement for wantaway star Alexander Isak. But - like a long distance runner in a 5,000m race - United sat in, bided their time and overtook their rivals with a late bid in the home straight.

Benjamin Sesko to Man United 

There can be no doubt 75m is a lot of money for a 22-year-old Bundesliga striker with 39 goals in two season. But there can also be no argument United are in desperate need of reinforcements having scored a record low 44 league goals last term. So whilst Sesko's hefty price tag and, therefore, increased expectations, will carry a lot of weight, he surely cannot be any worse.

As always, the Reds have been linked with a series of strikers all summer long - from the sublime (Viktor Gyokeres) to the ridiculous (Nicolas Jackson), via Ollie Watkins, Hugo Ekitite and Victor Osimhen. 
Sesko has attracted United's admiring glances for a couple of years now, but it was only once Newcastle entered the room that things gathered pace.

You can criticise INEOS for a fair bit of behind-the-scenes chaos at Old Trafford, but Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada and Christopher Vivell have played this one to perfection. An official bid was only sent in for Sesko once it became apparent he wanted to sign for us, and from there, it has become a formality. Although Newcastle's initial bid was slightly higher than United's first offer, they have since matched it and Sesko has eyes only for Old Trafford. The stage is set for Manchester United's new centre forward to enter stage left. 

A switch to Newcastle offers Sesko Champions League football and arguably a club on a more stable footing. But despite the lure of the St James Park riches, the pull of Manchester United was too great, as per Sky Sports. The chance to lead the line for one of the world's most iconic and famous club - and the opportunity to bring us out of the doldrums - ultimately came up trumps. Who's that team we call United?! 

It is quite remarkable how a side with the worst attacking output in the league last season now has a front three fit to grace any of Europe's elite. The arrivals of two of the Premier League's best attackers in Cunha and Mbeumo, behind the imminent Slovenian, provides an instant upgrade for Amorim's United. With Amad, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount - who caught the eye in pre-season - also at the manager's disposal, there can be no excuses this time around.

Of course, this feels like a path United have walked down before. A young, emerging striker from Europe coming to Old Trafford for a large price tag as a relative unknown? For Sesko in 2025, read Rasmus Hojlund in 2023. It is with a touch of irony that the former is already seen a replacement for the latter. But there is no reason why the two cannot operate in tandem - indeed, perhaps the arrival of Sesko can spur Hojlund on to greater heights as we approach World Cup year.  

Hojlund of course could still leave, either on loan or permanently, but it's believed he wants to stay and fight for his place. Either way, it feels like Hojlund's United career is already in the 'last chance' saloon: a damning indictment on a player we spent so much on only two years ago. We can only hope Sesko does not go the same way. 

Benjamin Sesko

What is the true value of a striker? Do you invest in an experienced no.9 with a prolific goalscoring record like Haaland, or do you buy in to the future where a player can grow and learn into the role, like we did with Hojlund and like we're doing with Sesko? Delap at Chelsea is another example of an up and coming player tasked with leading the line for a Premier League giant. 

Sesko's signing continues the trend of European strikers making big money moves to the Premier League this summer: Delap to Chelsea, Gyokeres to Arsenal and Hugo Ekitite to Liverpool. Isak could be pending. 

So what are we getting with this lad? A player with 39 goals in 87 games across two seasons at Leipzig, Sesko plied his trade in Austria before his switch to the Bundesliga, and plundered 29 in 79 for Red Bull rivals Salzburg. A tall, rangy striker at 6ft 5, he is good in the air and, unusually for a tall man, his pace and technical ability makes him one of the most highly-rated players in Europe. A player with 41 caps for his country, he would become the first Slovenian to don the red of United. 

Welcome to Manchester United, Benjamin Sesko. It's going to be quite the ride...