Manchester United have a “secret weapon” to win the red-hot race to sign Benjamin Sesko ahead of Premier League rival Arsenal, who had appeared frontrunners for the RB Leipzig striker, according to a German football expert.
There is an urgent need for a new number nine at Old Trafford this summer after the club’s worst season in the Premier League era.
United finished 15th in the table and broke multiple (unwanted) records in terms of position, points, losses, and goals scored. Ruben Amorim’s side mustered just a paltry 44 goals in total, with only four teams in the division scoring less – Everton and the three relegated sides, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton.
The senior striking partnership of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, signed for a combined fee in excess of £100 million over successive summer windows, managed seven goals between them. Leicester City’s 38-year-old captain Jamie Vardy scored nine, by comparison.
There is widespread acceptance amongst United executives that the bulk of the the club’s budget this summer will be directed towards the misfiring forward line.
A £62.5 million deal has already been agreed to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers’ star Matheus Cunha while United also held “face-to-face talks” for Ipswich striker Liam Delap, who had emerged as the club’s “first-choice” target up front.
However, Delap, 22, has rebuffed the Reds’ interest in favour of a switch to Chelsea with the prospect of Champions League football at Stamford Bridge believed to have been key in the England U-21 international’s decision.
As such, United have now begun considering alternative options with the market for a new striker quickly narrowing due to the restricted budget and a lack of European football.
Options such as Victor Osimhen (Napoli) and Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP) were under consideration at Old Trafford but deals for either striker appear increasingly unfeasible.
However, one other forward also being tracked by United is Sesko, who the club made advances to sign last summer and hold a long-standing interest in. And Bundesliga expert Christian Falk reveals the Red Devils have a “secret weapon” in a pursuit of the Slovenian international – recruitment director Christopher Vivell.
✅ Man Utd have secret weapon in bid to steal Benjamin Sesko from Arsenal https://t.co/fMux4K1dAI
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) May 31, 2025
Tweet: “Man Utd have secret weapon in bid to steal Benjamin Sesko from Arsenal.”
Standing 6’4, Sesko is the prototype of a ‘modern’ forward, combining speed and strength with an imposing frame. He is a lethal finisher with a thunderous shot, while retaining good link-up play and predatory instincts. There is considerable scope for him to improve in each facet of his game, but having only turned 22 today (Happy Birthday Benjamin!) it is natural he is still developing as a number nine.
He has scored 21 times and provided six assists in all competitions for Leipzig this year, underscoring the fact he is ready to contribute goals now.
Arsenal have emerged as favourites for Sesko with the London club entering “concrete talks” with Leipzig over a deal. The striker’s contract at the Red Bull Arena contains a £67 million release clause.
But Vivell, who was confirmed to have taken on the role of recruitment director at Old Trafford permanently at the beginning of the year, previously worked in the Red Bull football operation and was pivotal in unearthing Sesko as a 16-year-old prospect and bringing him first to RB Salzburg, before his eventual move to sister club, Leipzig.
Vivell personally scouted Sesko in April as Leipzig took on Wolfsburg and is believed to be “pushing” for United to sign the 22-year-old striker this summer, as relayed by The Peoples Person.
Falk corroborates this assessment, revealing to Caught Offside that “Manchester United could rely on the expertise and connections of Christopher Vivell to beat Arsenal to the punch.”
“Arsenal have ceased their recruitment drive and have declared Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting Lisbon) as their favourite targets. RB Leipzig are willing to talk for upwards of €70m, and ideally Sesko should fetch up to €100m,” Falk states.
“Despite his young age, the Slovenian is almost complete, has a clear head and is a real team player. He would be an asset to any club. There are already talks with Arsenal.
“From the Premier League, beside Arsenal also Manchester United are particularly interested. Christopher Vivell (United’s director of recruitment) was there to watch Sesko at the game in Wolfsburg in mid-April. He once helped discover him and brought the footballer to Salzburg as a 16-year-old in 2019.”
INEOS will be hoping the newest addition their executive structure at Old Trafford will end up paying his weight in gold by convincing a former pupil to join Amorim’s revolution this summer while dealing a deadly blow to a domestic rival in the process.
Featured image Luciano Lima via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
