Man Utd's Number One Target - Is This Finally The Summer Of Sesko?

"He's bully successful beforehand of goal. He has a bully attitude. He is relentless."

You tin spot why Premier League teams are willing successful £70m-rated Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.

Despite only being 22, it feels arsenic if nan Slovenia world has been linked to English shot for years - truthful could this beryllium nan summertime he makes nan move?

Manchester United person made him their apical striker target, while Newcastle United want him - if Alexander Isak leaves.

He had been powerfully linked to Arsenal for immoderate clip earlier they went for Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres. Plus Chelsea, excessively (though who isn't...?).

Big, strong, quick, bully successful nan aerial and a good finisher, Sesko has been compared to Erling Haaland - and not conscionable because they some played for Salzburg.

So why are truthful galore clubs being linked pinch him?

Sesko is simply a goalscorer. In fact, cipher successful his property scope has scored much goals successful nan past 2 seasons (more connected that later).

But past play he became much of an all-rounder, pinch 9.7% of his touches coming successful nan guidance container - compared pinch 17% nan play before.

He sewage progressive much connected some wings and further backmost into midfield.

He was 1 of nan fastest strikers successful nan Bundesliga astatine 35.7km/h - and had nan champion aerial occurrence complaint of strikers progressive successful astatine slightest 60 of them.

A recruitment master moving astatine nan highest level precocious said to BBC Sport newsman Alex Howell astir Sesko, who stands astatine 6ft 5in tall.

"He's truthful athletic, he's big, beingness and strong," said nan anonymous source.

"I deliberation nan physicality of nan Premier League won't overawe him.

"When you look astatine immoderate players successful Europe, wherever nan tempo is slower, you spot them struggle to modulation to bigger leagues.

"The Bundesliga is 1 of nan large 3 successful nan world, but erstwhile you look astatine transitioning successful large leagues he has nan beingness capabilities to do it."

And what are immoderate different qualities of Sesko, who idolised erstwhile Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic erstwhile he was younger?

"He is clinical, he tin driblet successful into space," said nan recruitment expert.

"One of his strengths is getting nan shot quickly. He tin clasp it, clasp defenders off, he tin springiness it to nan winger, he tin springiness it to nan 10.

"He's bully successful beforehand of goal. He has a bully attitude. He is relentless."

"You wouldn't expect him to deed nan crushed moving consecutive away, but successful six to 12 months he will beryllium good and you've sewage yourself a very bully player."

Central European shot master Lukas Vrablik added: "I deliberation Sesko has nan value to play successful 1 of Europe's champion sides. He tin beryllium a large asset. At nan aforesaid clip he's a subordinate who will develop.

"He's not nan vanished merchandise yet. Right now he mightiness not beryllium 1 of nan champion strikers successful Europe, but he has room for improvement."

Sesko has spent nan past 2 seasons successful Germany pinch Leipzig, having joined them from sister nine Salzburg successful 2023.

That was a woody that had been agreed and announced successful nan summertime of 2022 - making him unavailable for immoderate English sides.

He has scored 39 goals successful 87 games successful each competitions successful those 2 seasons (plus 8 assists), pinch 27 successful 64 successful nan league.

Six of those goals person travel successful nan Champions League.

Since moving to Germany, Sesko is nan apical goalscorer presently aged nether 23 successful each competitions, of players who are based successful Europe's apical 5 leagues.

He is 1 supra Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and 5 clear of Florian Wirtz, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £100m this summer.

"Last season, I don't deliberation he was arsenic bully arsenic nan play earlier - but that was besides influenced by Leipzig not being truthful bully arsenic a team," added Vrablik.

"There are large expectations for him arsenic a striker. There is large hype astir him."

Sesko has shown objective finishing successful his clip successful Germany, too.

Only six forwards person scored much goals successful nan Bundesliga successful nan past 2 seasons, moreover though Sesko is 16th for expected goals, 14th connected shots and 22nd connected touches successful nan guidance box.

And he is lethal from agelong scope too, pinch 36.8% of his shots - and 23.1% of his goals - coming from extracurricular nan box. Both are higher than immoderate Bundesliga striker to people 12 aliases much goals past season.

All of Sesko's elder shot truthful acold has travel for Red Bull teams successful Europe, having near location aged 16 for Salzburg.

He played 2 seasons for Salzburg's feeder nine - Liefering - successful Austria's 2nd tier, scoring 22 goals successful 44 matches.

Some 21 goals of those came successful 2020-21, having only netted erstwhile nan play before.

And from location he played for Salzburg, bagging 29 goals successful 79 games successful 2 afloat seasons. He won nan convention some seasons, positive nan Austrian Cup, scoring successful nan last triumph complete Ried.

Slovenian journalist Miran Zore said successful 2024: "We benignant of expected his occurrence but no-one knew he was truthful special, isolated from his agent, Elvis Basanovic, who tried to person group astir his potential.

"He utilized to nonstop messages to scouts and directors, saying, 'this is nan adjacent extremity machine'.

"When he was struggling successful Salzburg astatine nan start, group were asking his agent, 'where's this extremity machine'. Now, everyone is laughing astir it."

In 2022, Sesko himself was quoted arsenic saying: "My team-mates astatine nan nine show maine that Haaland and I are very similar, particularly successful position of speed. Most of them moreover show maine that I'm amended than him."

Manchester City striker Haaland (who near Salzburg earlier Sesko's debut) netted nan aforesaid magnitude of goals for nan Austrian nine arsenic Sesko - but nan Norwegian only needed 27 matches, 34% of nan magnitude Sesko played.

So possibly his team-mates were conscionable being nice...

Even so, that remark unsocial would propose immoderate grade of self-assurance.

"I perceive from group successful Slovenia who worked pinch him that he's a really hard-working feline - and really confident," said Vrablik.

"He has a patient confidence, which is really important for a striker."

For his country, Sesko has scored 16 goals successful 41 games and featured for them astatine Euro 2024. Only 3 players person ever scored much for nan erstwhile Yugoslav nation.

Speaking successful 2024, erstwhile Slovenia world Miran Pavlin said: "He has to attraction connected playing good and nan transportation will travel - if not this year, past successful 1 aliases 2 years.

"He has nan imaginable to beryllium 1 of nan apical 10 strikers successful nan world, for sure."

There is nary certainty that Sesko will time off Leipzig.

However, they person grounded to suffice for Europe this play and person started a summertime rebuild nether caller leader Ole Werner.

BBC Sport was told Sesko has an informal statement pinch his nine that he tin time off if an elite squad connection astir £70m.

When Sesko joined Leipzig from sister nine Salzburg successful 2023 he had a merchandise clause of £55m - but past summertime he signed a caller semipermanent deal.

Reports propose that besides has a merchandise clause, which has climbed.

That begs nan mobility of who could spend him? The reply is: not galore teams barroom Premier League sides aliases Saudi clubs.

"He's good positioned to make a quality astatine a apical club. It's conscionable a matter of clip until he moves," said Vrablik. "But possibly not this summer.

"I deliberation nan value paid a portion [on why he hasn't moved yet]. There are not galore clubs who tin spend him correct now, which is simply a problem if he wants to move on.

"I wouldn't beryllium amazed to spot him enactment astatine Leipzig different season. It mightiness beryllium bully for his improvement if he tin repetition nan play from earlier Euro 2024.

"It depends connected nan market, possibly immoderate departure would bring this effect. I expected him to extremity up astatine Arsenal."

Arsenal were willing successful Sesko earlier signing Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, successful a woody worthy up to £64m (73m euros ) - truthful still large money, but somewhat cheaper.

Manchester United had put Sesko and Aston Villa's England striker Ollie Watkins astatine nan apical of their list, but are now focusing connected nan Slovenian and person spoken to Leipzig.

United person already spent £130m connected forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo this summer, but still person money to spend.

Rasmus Hojlund is United's different striker.

But Newcastle besides want Sesko - if their ain prima striker leaves.

Swede Isak was not portion of their pre-season circuit to Asia and BBC Sport was told he is looking astatine his options.

Liverpool are said to beryllium willing successful Isak but a move would surely costs successful excess of £100m.

That interest would, successful turn, time off Newcastle capable to spend Sesko.

Callum Wilson near St James' Park connected a free transportation this summer, meaning 21-year-old William Osula would beryllium their only elder striker if Isak did leave.

Unlike Manchester United, a move to nan Magpies would alteration Sesko to play successful nan Champions League adjacent season.

As would Chelsea - who person besides been linked.

However, nan Blues person already signed strikers Liam Delap and Joao Pedro for a mixed £90m this summer, truthful would request to offload Nicolas Jackson and possibly others.

Half of Europe's elite teams - including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan - person besides been reportedly keen successful nan past too.

But those links person gone cold.

Will it beryllium nan aforesaid for those Premier League clubs presently successful nan operation for his signature - aliases is this yet nan summertime Sesko makes his move?