As it currently stands, Newcastle United target Benjamin Sesko will be on the move this summer – just where he’s off to is less certain.
The Slovenian striker was left out of RB Leipzig latest friendly, following news both ourselves and Manchester United remain heavily interested in his signature.
Early weekend reports indicated that we had moved ahead in the race to sign Sesko, matching Leipzig’s hefty ~£70m valuation of the 22-year-old.
But it looks like our latest bid still hasn’t satisfied the Germans, and we may have to adjust a number of things if we want to get the green light in negotiations…
Sesko latest after €80m bid
---------------------------
The Athletic’s David Ornstein initially reported that our bid of €80m, comprised of a flat €75m fee plus €5m in add-ons, was seen as ‘insufficient’ by the Bundesliga side.
It’s since been revealed Leipzig are in fact seeking a sell-on clause to be included in the agreement, owing to the immense potential Sesko is touted to have.
However, Sky Sports’[Keith Downie](https://x.com/skysports_keith/status/1951737241497424282?s=46) has insisted that the eventual figure is in fact not a major issue, but rather how our proposed agreement is structured.
Writing on X, Downie commented: _“Leipzig haven’t rejected the Newcastle €75m + €5m offer but also haven’t accepted. They are negotiating on some of the payment terms. So talks continue over the structure of the deal.”_
_”Sesko is open to both #NUFC & #MUFC and will make the decision in the coming days. His agent has travelled to Leipzig tonight (Saturday) for these talks with the German club.”_
In laymen’s terms, we look to have coughed up the cash, but still face a couple of obstacles if we want to get the deal over the line, and don’t yet know who Sesko prefers – Man Utd or Newcastle – as discussions continue.
Will sell-on clause be a stumbling block?
-----------------------------------------
Sell-on clauses are proving to be a thorn in the side of our recruitment team in the last few windows.
Whether it was us trying to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace and having to factor in Chelsea’s clause, or wanting to make as much money as possible from Alexander Isak after factoring in Real Sociedad’s own clause in their former player.
Leipzig are well within their right to include this in the agreement, and the actual importance of the clause only matters if we’re planning on selling Sesko further down the line.
Manchester United interest still an issue
-----------------------------------------
The fact we are this far into negotiations and Sesko still hasn’t ’chosen’ who he wants to join does set some alarm bells ringing.
Manchester United look to be just a couple of player sales away from being able to significantly offer more money than us in negotiations: our hope is that the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho continue to attract little interest or insist on staying and fighting for their place.
However, considering how far we have indeed got in these negotiations would imply that we’re certainly making the right moves.
And with our phenomenal track record when we make big signings (Isak, Tonali, Bruno, Gordon), fixing the structure of these deals and adding a sell-on clause may be well worth it in the long term if we get Europe’s most promising young strikers to play in the black and white stripes.