The goalscoring woes of Manchester United were a problem to fix heading into this summer's transfer window – and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko has been identified as the club’s primary target, though former Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend has issued Ruben Amorim a warning over the Slovenian striker.
Admired by Arsenal earlier in the window and with Newcastle United also interested in his services, Sesko has been at the front of centre of quite the transfer saga and Amorim’s Red Devils have tabled their first bid – €75m + €10m in add-ons.
That is currently lower than the fee that Newcastle have put forward for the 22-year-old, though GIVEMESPORT’s Ben Jacobs has reported that Sesko’s preferred destination is Old Trafford. “Understand Benjamin Sesko has made it clear this evening he wants to join Manchester United,” he wrote on X.
Benjamin Sesko's 24/25 Bundesliga Stats vs Leipzig Squad
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Townsend Offers Benjamin Sesko Warning to Man Utd
The Slovenian striker scored 21 goals in 43 appearances for Leipzig last season
Jacobs, as alluded to, believes that Manchester United are under the assumption the 41-cap Slovenia international is waiting for them. It’s now in the hands of his Bundesliga employers, who he has scored 39 goals for in 87 outings since the summer of 2023.
On what Sesko could bring to the Old Trafford outfit, who finished 15th in the Premier League in 2024/25, Townsend said: “The biggest thing about him to start is that he’s 6’5”. But he's not a 6'5" in the sense of a target man and just holding it up and knocking things back to people towards him.”
“He's a very, very technical footballer, he looks very two-footed, his finishing ability...he has that lovely technique to strike a ball very sweetly, not all strikers are blessed with that."
Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Joao Pedro and Benjamin Sesko's statistics this season
However, he did highlight a potential drawback regarding the £74 million man. "I don't think he's going to be the most prolific that we've seen on these shores,” he said. “But if you look at his record in the Bundesliga, and all in with his European performances and cups, he's 20+ each season. And he's 22, so he's a very young man.”
“He certainly looks quick enough. How aggressive he is and how aggressive he needs to be [could be questioned], but he's certainly very gifted technically." Townsend concluded. In 2024/25 alone, the 2003-born talisman scored 21 goals and notched a further six assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. Whether his potency can translate into the Premier League, however, remains to be seen.
Manchester United will be aware of the risk of signing a young striker yet again, what with Rasmus Hojlund not living up to his price tag, but Sesko is vastly more experienced than the Dane was when he arrived. The additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, too, will improve final third productivity.
Watch Townsend's full breakdown of Sesko's move to Man Utd below:
All statistics per WhoScored – correct as of 06/08/2025