Lightning appears to have struck twice for Manchester United.
Speaking back in 2022, the talented centre-forward admitted that he rejected the Red Devils, opting instead to agree to join a club where he felt first team football would be more likely and who’s style he knows like the back of his hand.
“I think it was better just to come here,” Benjamin Sesko would tell Transfermarkt after completing a move from Red Bull Salzburg to their German-based sister club RB Leipzig.
“It was really important for me to go to a place that was playing a similar style of football. I already knew what to do and didn’t have to go through an entire learning process again.”
Scoring 18 goals last season in Germany – including seven in his last seven Bundesliga matches – it’s a decision Sesko may feel will be vindicated.
The Slovenia international obviously feels that Leipzig is the right environment for him to continue his development, now opting to commit his future to the Red Bull Arena outfit at a time where Manchester United were once again hot on his heels.
Manchester United miss out on Benjamin Sesko again
Fabrizio Romano reported via his YouTube channel on Thursday that Man United had ‘made contact’ over Sesko, and had presented their proposal to him. But, like he did previously, Sesko is now committing himself to staying in Germany.
“Benjamin Sesko has decided to stay at RB Leipzig and sign new contract on improved terms,” Romano now writes on X. “Decision made for talented striker, similar to what Haaland decided back in the days at BVB.
“Sesko will stay at Leipzig with a new gentleman’s agreement for future exit.”
Rasmus Hojlund needs competition
Man United, then, may be back to square one in their pursuit of a centre-forward capable of easing the burden on Rasmus Hojlund.
Sesko, who had a £55 million release clause in his initial Leipzig contract, appeared to be emerging as one of United’s leading target for the striker position, though there is another school of thought suggesting that Erik ten Hag‘s team will instead prioritise a more experienced, Premier League-proven option such as, for instance, an Ivan Toney.
There was a feeling in some quarters anyway that Sesko was a little too similar to Hojlund. Two strikers with a similar skill-set, at a similar stage of their development.
“His movement, his running, outstanding. He’s got incredible ‘power running’; the way he drives into different positions and pulls people apart is extremely impressive,” European football expert David Cartlidge told the On the Continent podcast.
“(Sesko’s role at Leipzig is) not too different to I think what Rasmus Hojlund is doing at Man United.
“There is a lot of similarities I see between those two in terms of their movement, their awareness in and around the penalty area and how they link up with midfield. How they realise their role is not just about poaching, it’s about bringing the midfield into the game