Striker said Manchester United wanted him and now he has £43m release clause

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Manchester United will have the chance to finally land Benjamin Sesko this summer as the Premier League linked centre-forward has a £43 million release clause in his contract at Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig. 

At the moment, all the signs suggest that – if the Red Devils are to bring in a new number nine – the man in question will likely to be an experienced operator, one to provide competition for and mentor Rasmus Hojlund.

But could Manchester United, as the news of Benjamin Sesko’s release clause emerges, be tempted to tear up that plan and instead jump at a second chance they may not have been expecting?  

Manchester United have second Benjamin Sesko chance

Sesko confirmed to Transfermarkt a few months ago that Man United had tried to sign him before his £20 million move from Salzburg to Leipzig last summer, crossing the border from Austria into Germany and swapping one Red Bull-powered club for another. 

“The thing is, I was not really into that kind of conversation (about a move to Old Trafford),” Sesko explains. “But I think, yeah, I think it was better just to come here.” 

This was not so much a player ‘snubbing’ Man United as one opting instead to join a club with a superb track record when it comes to developing and platforming up-and-coming talent.

Sesko has scored seven goals for RB Leipzig so far, despite spending much of the campaign on the bench due to the scintillating form of Lois Openda. 

And Man United’s interest in the stylish Slovenian is likely to be something of an ongoing concern, especially with Anthony Martial’s impending departure opening the door for another centre-forward to take his place. 

But has Sesko really done enough in Germany to suggest that the £43 million clause in his Leipzig contract represents sufficient value-for-money (Sky Deutschland)?

Promising but unproven

There is no doubting the 20-year-old’s potential. But Man United have seen little return on their Bundesliga investments in the recent past, and Sesko has achieved a lot less on German soil than Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Shinji Kagawa and, of course, Jadon Sancho. 

Then again, considering the sums that have been thrown around for exciting young attackers of late – Openda himself is valued at £75 million these days amid links with the Red Devils – perhaps United will, like when signing Hojlund, consider this an investment where the potential rewards outweigh the risks.

Due to his rangy frame, his explosive finishing and his background in Austrian football, Sesko has been likened to Erling Haaland.

“It was interesting to look at (Haaland) because he’s the same height and some movements are the same,” Sesko tells The Guardian. “At this point you think ‘I want to be like him’. But when you start to play a little bit you want to be yourself.

“But it’s really good to have learned from him. And, in some ways, it has helped me a lot.”