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Man Utd and Newcastle make Sesko bids as Leipzig admit ‘concrete' interest

Man Utd and Newcastle make Sesko bids as Leipzig admit ‘concrete' interest

Al Jazeera2 hours ago
Premier League sides Manchester United and Newcastle have both placed competing bids for in-demand RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, German tabloid Bild reported Tuesday.
Bild said the Red Devils made an initial bid of 85 million euros ($98.2) on Tuesday for the 22-year-old centre forward.
Newcastle had offered a reported 80 million euros ($92.4) for the striker on Saturday, upping that to 85 million ($98.2) with bonuses on Monday.
The Slovenian striker scored 13 goals and laid on five assists in a disappointing league campaign for Leipzig last season. He has scored 16 times in 41 appearances at the international level.
Sesko was stood down from Saturday's home friendly against Serie A side Atalanta, won 2-1 by the visitors, due to a potential transfer.
Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer confirmed this, saying Sesko would not play 'due to the very concrete interests from several clubs'.
United are rebuilding after their worst top-flight campaign in 51 years, along with defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final.
United were toothless in attack and have already brought in forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer window.
Sesko's arrival could push under-pressure striker Rasmus Hojlund towards the exit, with reports emerging that United could sell the Denmark forward for 35 million ($40.4) euros, less than half of what they paid to bring him from Atalanta in 2023.
Newcastle qualified for the Champions League with a fifth-placed finish last season, but are reportedly in danger of losing striker Alexander Isak to Premier League champions Liverpool.
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