Newcastle United are still in the hunt to secure the signature of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko this summer, and have just been handed a fresh boost in their efforts to sign him.
The Magpies are on the hunt for a new striker after the release of Callum Wilson, coupled with mounting speculation of Alexander Isak’s future.
It has been confirmed that the Swede is considering his options this summer, meaning a move away from Newcastle United is on the cards. Liverpool are interested in signing Isak, but their recent £110million bid has been rejected.
Newcastle are big contenders to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig alongside Manchester United this summer, with the striker reportedly having a gentleman’s agreement with his club that he can leave if the right offer comes in.
A bid was placed by the Magpies for the 22-year-old last week, but the Bundesliga side were quick to turn it down, with the hope of a bigger offer.
With Newcastle continuing their pursuit of Sesko, a new transfer report in Germany has handed them a big boost, though it does come with a catch.
Benjamin Sesko celebrates after scoring in a Bundesliga game between RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Benjamin Sesko is open to joining Newcastle, but Manchester United are still in the race
Newcastle’s bid was believed to be in the region of £65million, plus add-ons, but Leipzig are hoping for a few million more before accepting an offer.
His signing could depend on whether Isak stays on Tyneside for next season. Isak returned to Newcastle training on Monday and is set to have talks with Eddie Howe later this week over his future.
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Now, according to German outlet BILD, both Newcastle and Man United have been informed that Sesko only wants them, but the Magpies are now against the clock as a ‘short deadline’ has been set to agree a deal.
Reports elsewhere have stated that Leipzig are looking for a flat fee of over €80million (£69.6million) for Sesko. There is no word on whether Newcastle are going to make another bid for the Slovenian international, but they should be able to afford to pay the extra fee.
Benjamin Sesko has one problem about joining Manchester United
Although no bid has been placed, Man United are still well in the race for Sesko and are waiting for the right time to pounce before trying to secure his signature.
It could be the case that they wait until Newcastle have a bid accepted before putting their own offer in. For now, everything remains the same; the final decision is down to Sesko over which club he wants to join.
However, the same report from BILD suggests that Sesko needs guarantees that Man United can support the deal ‘financially’. It is believed that players need to be sold before they can pay out the sizeable fee for Sesko, so it could be a case that Newcastle have an advantage in that department, having already sold Sean Longstaff and letting players like Wilson go.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle will land the striker they are so eager for, but he would undoubtedly be a great addition to the squad if he joins.