Liverpool suffer Alexander Isak blow as RB Leipzig respond to Newcastle's Benjamin Sesko bid
Newcastle's bid for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has fallen short. The Magpies offer of £65.5m and more than £4m of add-ons was not enough to convince the Bundesliga side to part ways with Manchester United also interested in the Slovenia star.
Sesko was left out of RB Leipzig's matchday squad for their friendly against Serie A side Atalanta on Saturday amid news of the bid from Newcastle. The up-front fee offered by the Toon is reported to have met the side's valuation but the overall package has not been deemed acceptable in terms of its total and structure.
The German team are hopeful that Manchester United will soon make an offer having held talks with both player and club. Sesko has yet to decide his preference, having also previously drawn interest from Arsenal.
Leipzig's striker is under contract until 2029 and his agent, Elvis Basanovic, has previously stated that his client wants a "special project with a special coach". And the pause in proceedings will have offered little motivation to Liverpool.
The Reds saw their own bid rejected when they made a £110m offer to Newcastle for Alexander Isak. The Magpies offered little encouragement for the Anfield club to make a return for their star, said to be valued at £150m, but Liverpool's hopes could be rejuvinated should Eddie Howe find a new striker to work with.
Isak is to return to Newcastle having missed his side's pre-season tour of Asia and spent time training at former club Real Sociedad. But there remains uncertainty around the Sweden international's future with the possibility of Liverpool returning to the fold should the Magpies find a replacement.
Speaking on Liverpool's rejected offer, Newcastle boss Howe said: 'I was made aware of a bid yesterday (Friday) and that bid was turned down, all before I'd even heard about it.
'People back in England are dealing with the situation. I don't know what happens next. From our perspective, we still support Alex in every way and my wish is that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again.'
It is old rivals Manchester United who could yet spoil Liverpool plans too. United made their first approach for Sesko last week, through intermediaries, who opened up dialogue over a potential deal. The Red Devils are set to step up talks when they have returned home from their three-game tour of the US.
Though the funds involved are likely to be significant, and United are looking to offload several players before the summer transfer window closes, they have scope to sign a striker without making a sale.
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