Barring any late intervention from Manchester United, Newcastle United are poised to reign victorious in the race for Benjamin Sesko.
Indeed, the Magpies have had to step up their efforts to sign a centre-forward in the aftermath of last week’s blockbuster revelation that Alexander Isak had informed the board of his desire to explore other options this summer.
His timing was deemed rather puzzling, given Arsenal, one of his potential suitors, had just reached an agreement for Viktor Gyokeres, Chelsea had signed both Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, and Liverpool beat Newcastle to the acquisition of one of their first-choice targets, Hugo Ekitike.
Yet, the latter look set to continue their luxurious summer spending spree this week after agreeing a deal to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for £65 million – paving the way for them to submit a lucrative proposal for Isak in the coming days.
Benjamin Sesko to Newcastle: The state of play
Alas, Newcastle have – albeit begrudgingly – been made to identify a suitable successor to their prolific frontman, and have landed on Sesko as the eligible heir to Isak’s throne.
Journalist Nicolo Schira revealed last night that the Slovenian international had reached ‘an agreement in principle’ with Newcastle, which would see him sign a five-year deal at St. James’ Park. Now, it’s up to the club to find an agreement with RB Leipzig, who’ve stood firm in their demands for their young talisman this summer.
Why United have opted against submitting a bid for Sesko
United have been credited with interest in Sesko, 22, on more than one occasion since the window opened, but their ongoing struggle to sanction any major permanent outgoings has left INEOS floundering at how they can sanction a striker’s arrival.
Bundesliga insider Christian Falk claimed that Leipzig could accept a bid below Sesko’s £70m release clause, with £60.6m deemed enough to get a deal over the line. Still, though, this is likely to price United out of a move.
