6 days ago
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Benjamin Sesko is set to finalize his move from RB Leipzig to Manchester United this weekend.
The Slovenian striker has chosen Old Trafford over Newcastle, who could still sell Alexander Isak to Liverpool, with a preliminary agreement reached on Thursday that will see the club shell out up to £73.8million for his services. That's just shy of $100 million.
Before this, there were rumors linking Ollie Watkins, Viktor Gyokeres, Hugo Ekitike, and Nicolas Jackson to the club, with the latter three also being actively pursued by other clubs. Gyokeres has since moved to Arsenal, while Ekitike has signed for Liverpool.
Although Jackson remains a Chelsea player for now, he is expected to leave Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.
However, Old Trafford won't be Jackson's new home, as Sesko has been selected as Ruben Amorim's new striker. Newcastle had an offer accepted for the 22-year-old, but like Ekitike, Bryan Mbeumo, and Joao Pedro, he chose to move elsewhere.
Sesko has already flown into Manchester with his agent Elvis Basanovic to complete the formalities of his transfer.
The signing of a long-term contract, passing his medical, and the official announcement of his arrival are all part of the plan United has in place for the next few days.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Sesko will undergo medical tests at Carrington on Friday, and if all goes well, he will be introduced on Saturday at Old Trafford, either before or during half time of United's preseason match against Fiorentina.
Given his fitness level and the plan in place, it's unlikely that Sesko will feature against the Serie A side.
However, he could make his debut the following week in the opening match of the 2025/26 Premier League season against Arsenal.
The Gunners had previously attempted to sign him from Leipzig earlier in the window, but they instead chose Gyokeres.
Should Sesko be deemed fit enough to play, he is likely to take Alejandro Garnacho's spot from United's last competitive matchday squad. The Argentine has not been selected by Amorim since the post-season victory over Hong Kong.
Chelsea, who has long admired him, has now initiated talks to sign him. The 21-year-old was told by Amorim that he would be free to leave following the Europa League final loss to Tottenham.
It's understood that the Blues value him at £30 million ($40.3 million), and while United may hold out for more, all parties are keen on an exit, and that fee can help fund part of the Sesko deal.
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