Newcastle United are advancing in their efforts to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, with a bid being placed after positive talks on Monday.
It looks like progress has finally been made in the Magpies’ efforts to bring in a new striker ahead of the 2025/26 season, and it has come at the ideal time.
The Premier League season starts in less than two weeks, and Alexander Isak’s future is still unknown. Isak returned to Newcastle training on Monday and is expected to have talks with Eddie Howe to try to convince him to stay.
In the meantime, Newcastle are working on a deal for Benjamin Sesko, and reports on Monday evening suggest that an agreement could be close following a fresh offer from the Magpies believed to be worth around £78million.
RB Leipzig are expected to accept Newcastle’s latest offer for Sesko, giving Eddie Howe another quality striker for his squad. According to reports, it appears there has been a changing of the guard during negotiations, with a member of Newcastle’s board personally stepping up to help convince the player to join.
Jamie Reuben after a Premier League game between Newcastle United and Leicester City.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Jamie Reuben fronts talks between Newcastle United and Benjamin Sesko
In the early days post-takeover, Amanda Staveley would get hands-on to try and convince players to join Newcastle. Her approach appeared to work, with the club making several signings in the first two transfer windows after the club was bought from Mike Ashley in 2021.
However, Staveley is no longer at Newcastle, and Howe now has to work with his recruitment team in an effort to convince big names to join. It is fair to say that the transfer window has not gone to plan, but the big guns inside the club are eager to ensure the window is not a complete failure.
According to The Athletic, Newcastle co-owner Jamie Reuben has now taken charge of the Sesko deal, and held positive talks with Leipzig and the player over a move this summer.
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Those talks appear to have convinced Sesko that Newcastle are the right option for him, meaning a deal could now be closer than ever before. This is not the first time Reuben has had a hand in Newcastle’s transfer business. The 38-year-old was a key part of talks to help Newcastle bring Anthony Elanga to Tyneside, so it appears he is becoming the Staveley-esque figure the club so desperately needed.
Benjamin Sesko’s 2024/25 statistics as Newcastle United eye £78m move
It still remains to be seen whether Sesko will be a replacement for Isak or a player who will partner him next season. Fans will be hoping the pair play together, and if Isak does go later down the line, Sesko can learn from him for at least one year.
Signing a player like Sesko is undoubtedly a statement of intent from both Howe and the board; they realise the youngster’s potential and want to get him while he is still improving so Howe can work his magic and turn him into a world-beater like he did with Isak when he joined in 2022.
2024/25 Statistics Benjamin Sesko
Appearances 45
Goals 21
Assists 6
Sesko has performed well in Germany since signing for Leipzig in 2023. The Slovenian international scored 13 Bundesliga goals, and played in some big games in the Champions League, including clashes against Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Juventus, scoring twice against the latter.
Fans will hope that Champions League experience can bring them more fortune in the competition next season, and push them even further up the Premier League table.