Who is Benjamin Sesko? The RB Leipzig wonderkid wanted by Arsenal and Chelsea

Martin Macdonald

• 22 Apr 2024 11:03 BST
• 5 min read

Benjamin Sesko is widely regarded as one of Europe's top talents and interest in his services is unsurprisingly sky-high.

Although the Slovenian joined RB Leipzig in 2023, transfer speculation has remained rife, with Chelsea and Arsenal at the front of a long list of clubs keen on landing him.

Manchester United are also long-term admirers, but the Red Devils signed Rasmus Hojlund in the same summer that Sesko joined Leipzig, meaning a move to Old Trafford is potentially more tricky.

Regardless, the Slovenia international has been touted for a mega move over the past few years and he was even dubbed 'the new Erling Haaland' during his time at RB Salzburg.

Praise doesn't come much higher and it's no surprise given the number of huge clubs who want to sign him.

But, who is Sesko and why is he regarded as one of the best young talents in European football?

What position does Benjamin Sesko play?

Sesko plays as a centre-forward.

How good is Benjamin Sesko?

The fact that Sesko has been likened to Haaland gives an indication as to his talents and also how he plays.

Just like the Norwegian, Sesko combines his height (6ft 4in) with a terrifying turn of pace, meaning he is sometimes impossible to defend against.

His name first hit the mainstream headlines when he netted 59 goals in 23 games at Under-15 level for Slovenian club Krsko, before he signed his first professional contract with RB Salzburg in 2019.

In 2022, comparisons to Haaland were hard to ignore and Sesko was questioned about the former Salzburg forward by Slovenian media. "Such comparisons motivate me and give me energy," he said.

"They do not represent pressure. I will listen and learn so I can be even better than he is. My team-mates at the club tell me that Haaland and I are very similar, especially in terms of speed. Most of them even tell me that I'm better than him!"

Although Sesko has been touted as 'the next Haaland' his goal-scoring record at RB Salzburg wasn't as impressive as the Norwegian's.

Sesko scored 29 goals and provided 11 assists in 79 appearances for the club before he joined Leipzig in 2023, while Haaland notched 29 times and bagged seven assists in just 27 games for Salzburg.

Nevertheless, Sesko is a brilliant talent and he scored 10 times in his first 25 Slovenia caps.

What clubs are interested in Benjamin Sesko?

Sesko has garnered interest from Europe's biggest clubs for several years, even before he fully burst onto the scene at RB Salzburg.

In 2019, before Sesko joined Salzburg, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Ajax and Dortmund were among the clubs reportedly interested.

"We had a lot of offers from really big clubs," Elvis Basanovic, his agent, told SPOX in 2020.

"Had we decided on the money, Benjamin would have moved to England or Italy. But we decided to look at the bigger picture and the Salzburg project.

"The biggest clubs in Europe tried to get him. The interest in him was huge; I have never seen anything like it before.

"Salzburg has given Benjamin a path. Here, he can develop. The people in charge really wanted him, which was important to us. Here he also has a greater chance of playing for the first team sooner or later."

Man Utd's interest in 2022 was reported by Fabrizio Romano, while Chelsea and Arsenal are now monitoring Sesko, following his move to RB Leipzig.

How old is Benjamin Sesko?

Sesko was born on May 31, 2003. He is 20 years old at the time of writing.

When does Benjamin Sesko’s contract expire?

Sesko's contract at RB Leipzig runs until 2028.

What is Benjamin Sesko’s Instagram?

Sesko's Instagram account is @benjaminsesko. He has 116k followers as of December 2023.