Newcastle United have submitted a formal bid to RB Leipzig in an attempt to win the race to sign Benjamin Sesko, according to reports breaking in the North-East – while TEAMtalk can reveal the background on three other strikers they have looked at recently.
Newcastle‘s plans to sign a new striker have been sent into overdrive recently. A new centre-forward was always on the agenda this summer at St. James’ Park after Callum Wilson was released at the end of his contract. But Newcastle have recently had to contend with Liverpool’s attempt to sign Alexander Isak, which has added a further layer to the saga.
Liverpool made a formal bid for Isak worth around £110m on Friday, but Newcastle turned it down. Still, the prospect of losing Isak to Liverpool – who have already beaten Newcastle to Hugo Ekitike this summer – is enough cause for alarm.
As seen in the Ekitike case, Newcastle have been frustrated in their pursuits of several strikers this summer. But they are now directly embroiled in a battle for Sesko, who was previously on Arsenal’s shortlist before they turned to Viktor Gyokeres instead.
The battle for Sesko is now between Newcastle and Manchester United. The latter held talks about the transfer in Germany this week after deciding to prioritise Sesko as their top striker target.
But Newcastle don’t want any more disappointment and have now made a formal bid to RB Leipzig for Sesko, as revealed by Sky Sports News‘ North East reporter Keith Downie.
Crucially, the bid matches Leipzig’s asking price for Sesko. Newcastle have offered €75m plus €5m in add-ons, which equates to £65.5m plus £4.4m – a £69.9m full package.
If accepted, that would make Sesko Newcastle’s most expensive signing of all time, surpassing the £63m spent on Isak in 2022.
While Newcastle await a response from Leipzig, they will hope they can convince Sesko, who has shown an openness to both their project and Man Utd’s.
READ MORE – Top 10 most expensive Newcastle United sales of all time
Some reports in Sesko’s native Slovenia claim he has chosen Newcastle, but that followed information to the contrary elsewhere.
In reality, TEAMtalk can confirm Sesko has not made a final decision on his preferred destination yet.
Newcastle alternatives to Sesko revealed
While on pre-season duty, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe wasn’t drawn on speculation about Sesko.
“I am sorry to sound like a broken record, I am aware of what is happening but I am not dealing with it,” Howe said in view of Sunday’s friendly against Tottenham Hotspur. “I woke up today and had two training sessions then came straight here.
“I am finding out what is happening after it has happened, so we will try to bring the best to the football club – I will make that clear – but I can’t talk about individual targets.
“We are looking at the best players we can get. We are only looking at the best we can get, I see all situations open and available to us. I feel that is the only way we are going to get where we want to go, which is to maximise quality over quantity.
“That is the way it has always been, the way we work, we try to improve, we have don it pretty well to this point. It has been a challenging summer as you know. We have missed out on loads of different targets for different reasons. But we are still very competitive and we are still in there trying to bring good players to the club, that won’t change until the window shuts.”
Sesko is the top option for Newcastle, TEAMtalk can confirm, with our correspondent Rudy Galetti also revealing that in recent weeks, behind the scenes, the Magpies have explored other profiles as well.
“Among the names considered is Samu Aghehowa, with recent contacts taking place to understand the player’s availability and the potential deal conditions, both on personal terms and for a possible transfer fee from Porto,” Galetti explained. “Newcastle has been following him for a long time and appreciates him.
“The English side also approached Marcus Thuram to gather information. However, the French striker has made it clear that he has no intention of leaving Inter this summer. For this reason, there is (and there will be) no progress in that direction.
“Then there is Ollie Watkins, another much-appreciated name who is open to leaving Aston Villa if a club presents a project he likes.”
Newcastle transfer news: One in from Chelsea, one out to Arsenal?
Newcastle transfer news is coming in thick and fast at the moment, with the Isak situation and the Sesko saga continually developing – not to mention Aaron Ramsdale being due to sign on loan from Southampton.
In other news, though, Newcastle are also prioritising an addition to their defence and have been linked with a Chelsea player.
There have also been rumours that Arsenal are interested in a different Newcastle attacker to Isak.
What Sesko would bring to Newcastle
By Nathan Egerton
Sesko first started to make headlines when he scored 59 goals in 23 games in the Under-15 set-up at Slovenian side Krsko.
He moved to Austria at the age of 16 and signed for Red Bull Salzburg in a deal worth €2.5million.
The striker immediately joined Salzburg’s partner club, FC Liefering, on loan for two seasons. He scored just one goal in his debut season before netting 21 goals in the 2020/21 season.
Sesko returned to Salzburg and scored 29 goals over the following two seasons, helping the club win the Austrian Cup and two Austrian Bundesliga titles.
The 21-year-old completed a €24million move to RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 and finished his debut season in Germany with 18 goals across all competitions.
He also became the youngest ever player to score in seven consecutive Bundesliga games at the age of 20 years and 353 days.
In addition to his club form, the Slovenia international has 15 goals in 35 caps for his country and won their Footballer of the Year award in 2022.
He is the youngest player and the youngest goalscorer in Slovenia’s history, having scored his first goal for the country against Malta in October 2021 at the age of 18 years, four months and eight days.
Sesko idolises Erling Haaland and has also been compared to the Manchester City forward due to his physicality, impressive technique and electrifying pace.
He stands at 6ft 5in, while only six Bundesliga strikers recorded a faster running speed than Sesko’s 35.47kmph in the 2023/24 season. His top speed in 2024/25 was an even faster 35.69kmph.
“Such comparisons motivate me and give me energy,” Sesko said when asked about Haaland during his time at Salzburg. “They do not represent pressure. I will listen and learn so I can be even better than he is.
“My teammates at the club tell me that Haaland and I are very similar, especially in terms of speed. Most of them even tell me that I’m better than him.”
Who should Sesko choose?