Benjamin Sesko has a decision to make as Manchester United and Newcastle battle for his signature.
TBR Football understand Newcastle have bid €90m (£78m) for the Slovenia international, while Manchester United have put €85m (£74m) on the table as both Premier League sides compete for the striker.
We understand RB Leipzig do not have a preference on who they would rather sell the 22-year-old to this summer, meaning the decision is up to him.
As Benjamin Sesko ponders between Newcastle and Manchester United, comments made by the Slovenian in 2023 could provide a significant clue.
Ruben Amorim may feel excited by what Benjamin Sesko said in September 2023
Manchester United have already been rejected by the RB Leipzig No.30 once before, back in the summer of 2023.
When asked by Transfermarkt why he chose to swap RB Salzburg for RB Leipzig instead of a move to Old Trafford that summer, Sesko stressed the importance of continuity, admitting: “It was very important for me to go to a place that plays a similar style of football.
“I already knew what to do and didn’t have to go through a whole learning process again.”
Now, that could work in Manchester United’s favour.
Sesko mainly played in a 3-4-1-2 system under Marco Rose last season, a formation which involves wing-backs and inverted forwards who operated close to Sesko in Chelsea target Xavi Simons and Lois Openda.
The man born in Radece performed well in this shape, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
Crucially, Amorim adopts a similar style, fielding a 3-4-2-1 shape last time out in the 2-2 draw against Everton, where Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes supported Matheus Cunha as a lone striker.
Therefore, very little would change for Sesko – who Arsenal also considered – tactically at Manchester United, as opposed to the manner in which Eddie Howe operates at Newcastle.
Benjamin Sesko risks being isolated at Newcastle
Howe often deploys a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation, which is significantly different to what Sesko grew familiar with at RB Leipzig last season and during his time in Salzburg.
Newcastle tend to field two wingers who stay high and wide, traditional full-backs who make up a back four, and a lone striker.
That would be vastly different to the set-up Sesko played in last season, so by his own logic, a move to Manchester United could be much more appealing.