Why Arsenal, Chelsea & Man Utd want Leipzig wonderkid Benjamin Sesko

Tom Weber

Updated: 18 May 2024 22:39 BST
11 min read

Benjamin Sesko is one of Europe's most sought-after commodities.

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The RB Leipzig striker has finished the 2023/24 Bundesliga season in absolutely outrageous form, further increasing the interest in his services from abroad and his price tag.

It was recently revealed that the 20-year-old's release clause is not fixed as had been initially thought when he joined the Red Bulls from sister club Salzburg in the summer. Instead, Sesko's exit clause is tied to the number of games he plays and his performances.

When this news was made public, Sesko's price tag had already risen from €50 million to €65m. According to BILD's Christian Falk, the clause had reached its upper limit of €75m even before the youngster scored again on the final Bundesliga matchday against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Despite his now-hefty price, Sesko remains an in-demand striker and it is not hard to see why.

Sesko the full package

The 20-year-old centre-forward has been tipped for greatness from a young age. During his time at RB Salzburg, the Slovenian was often compared to none other than Erling Haaland, who had also taken the path from his native country to the Bundesliga via Austria.

If Falk is to be believed, Leipzig chiefs are convinced that "Sesko is physically even stronger" than Haaland. Be that as it may, it is undeniable that the 20-year-old is an absolute machine akin to Haaland.

However, there is a very good argument to be made that Sesko is actually a more well-rounded player than the Norwegian. While not as ruthless in front of the net as the Man City sharpshooter, Sesko is probably more technically sound with the ball at his feet and proficient with his link-up play.

When he gets going, Haaland is an unstoppable freight train. Sesko can't quite match that, but the Slovenian is no slouch when it comes to outrunning defenders despite standing at a towering 195cm (6ft 5in).

In the early parts of the season, Sesko wasn't a guaranteed starter for Leipzig, often being used as an impact sub - in the truest sense of the phrase. After the Bundesliga winter break, however, the Slovenian became an integral part of the Red Bulls' side.

As mentioned, Sesko netted against Frankfurt on the Bundesliga's final matchday on Saturday. It was a goal that nicely illustrated the player's well-rounded skillset.

Usually more of a poacher, Sesko this time received the ball outside of the box, took a first touch to place the ball in front of him on his strong right foot and then rifled it into the roof of the net from the edge of the D.

It was the young forward's 18th goal of the season across all competitions and his 11th Bundesliga goal since January 27. In that time, Sesko also notched two assists, going just three Bundesliga games without registering a goal contribution.

STATS

Benjamin Sesko

F (RL), AM (L)

RB Leipzig

Benjamin Sesko

F (RL), AM (L)

RB Leipzig

42

Games
18

Goals
2

Assists

The sky is the limit

Sesko ended the season in red-hot form. Some will say that 18 goals is a solid return but that those aren't Haaland numbers and they would be right. However, that is in part due to the fact that Sesko actually wasn't supposed to be - and isn't - Leipzig's star striker. Record signing Lois Openda is the club's undisputed main man.

So Sesko has kind of had to contend with a dual role. In the early parts of the season, he was often second fiddle to Openda, while in the second half, he became a regular starter but without ever managing to actually supplant the Belgian. Rather than replacing him, Sesko was eventually used alongside him.

Leipzig's play in the 2023/24 season was never single-mindedly focused on getting the ball to Sesko. This is a fact that must be borne in mind when comparing Sesko to Haaland or other elite strikers who are generally their side's main option up top.

Since January, Sesko has shown how prolific he can be. Still only 20 and raw in some aspects of his game, the Slovenian is undeniably a huge talent.

Data analytics firm SciSports rank him among the top ten U21 strikers in the world right now in terms of potential, so it is unsurprising that Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea are all huge admirers of him.