Exclusive: Man Utd, Arsenal plot January move for top striker, whose ‘agreement’ makes transfer possible

Manchester United and Arsenal are considering a move for RB Leipzig centre-forward Benjamin Sesko, sources have exclusively revealed to TEAMtalk.

The 21-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal at the start of the summer but he decided to remain with Leipzig as he felt it was best for his development.

Sesko’s decision to stay earned him a new contract which increased his salary significantly, and also removed a release clause of €65m (£55.3m, $70.8m) from his deal.

There is another release clause in his new deal, and he also has a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Leipzig that could allow him to leave the club in 2025.

This has given hope to Man Utd and Arsenal, who are both keeping close tabs on Sesko’s situation. He is unlikely to move in January but the chances of him leaving next summer are high and the Premier League duo are among those keen.

Sesko’s agents have visited both Old Trafford and the Emirates in recent months. Conversations have been held with the club’s representatives to discuss the conditions of a potential transfer.

Sesko also wants guaranteed game time and the opportunity to be a consistent first-team player, per TEAMtalk sources.

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Arsenal haven’t given up on Sesko – sources

Sesko also had interest from Chelsea and Bayern Munich in the summer and his agents visited both clubs on multiple occasions.

Chelsea ultimately prioritised a move for Victor Osimhen but failed to bring him in. However, sources say the Blues have maintained contact with the Nigerian forward who is still their number one target.

Bayern have strong interest in Sesko but the player is reluctant to make the switch as he knows he would be playing second fiddle to Harry Kane, who has been on fire since joining from Tottenham last summer.

If Arsenal aren’t able to lure Sesko to the Emirates, it’s thought that they could turn their attention to Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram as their backup option.

Thuram and Sesko are two of six strikers that the Gunners have on their shortlist as Mikel Arteta looks to bring in a prolific front man to compete with Kai Havertz.

It’s thought that Arsenal have a ‘growing appreciation’ for the Thuram, who scored 13 Serie A goals last season in 35 appearances.

However, Sesko remains a target for Arsenal and contact between the club and his entourage is continuing over a potential deal in the January window.

Tomiyasu tipped to leave; Man Utd to open contract talks with duo

Meanwhile, Arsenal could lose full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu in January amid interest from Inter and Juventus.

The Japanese international has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates, with Jurrien Timber now ahead of him after recovering from his long-term injury.

Tomiyasu is yet to feature this season due to a knee issue and could find it difficult to fight his way back into the side once he returns.

Man Utd, on the other hand, are set to open contract talks with young duo Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo to tie down their long-term futures at the club.

The Red Devils are reportedly ready to prioritise a contract extension for 19-year-old midfielder Mainoo, who has now played 41 times for the team and also established himself as an England regular with 10 international caps.

He is not the only star on their agenda, though, with Amad also in line to secure himself a bumper extension as a reward for his progression into a first-team regular this season.

PROFILE: Benjamin Sesko

Ever since his breakthrough campaign with Red Bull Salzburg in the 2021-22 season, Sesko has been compared with Erling Haaland.

The two players briefly crossed paths at the Austrian side and Sesko shares the Manchester City superstar’s imposing size at 6ft 5ins, powerful shot – although he is right-footed – and eye for goal.

But the 21-year-old Slovenia striker prefers to model his game on another towering continental goal machine.

“Zlatan Ibrahimovic was my idol,” he told The Guardian in 2023. “I’m not saying I play like him but he was having fun, enjoying himself on the pitch, doing what he wanted to do. It makes me really happy when I see that kind of player. Every single video I could find, I was looking at him.”

While Sesko might not possess the same degree of deft skill as the ponytailed former AC Milan, Barcelona and Manchester United star, he does have a delicate touch for a player of his size and a Zlatan-esque penchant for a spectacular strike from range.

Sesko joined RB Leipzig for €24m (£20m) in the summer of 2023 and, after a solid if unspectacular first half of his debut Bundesliga season, he hit an electric patch of form to close out the campaign, scoring in seven consecutive games to take his tally for the term to 18 goals and two assists in 42 appearances.

At international level, Sesko was Slovenia’s top scorer in qualifying for Euro 2024 and led his nation to the last 16 of the tournament in Germany, where they were beaten on penalties by Germany.

In September, he scored his first senior international hat-trick, netting a treble in a 3-0 Nations League victory over Kazakhstan, bringing his return for Slovenia to an impressive 15 goals from 35 caps.

And after ending speculation over his future this summer by extending his contract with RB Leipzig, he opened his Champions League account for the 2024-25 season in a 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid.

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