Manchester United have held talks about the potential signing of Benjamin Sesko, but they aren’t currently pursuing a deal due to the associated costs.
Laurie Whitwell reports for The Athletic that Manchester United have kept tabs on Benjamin Sesko for a while now. They initially looked at signing him at 16, then held talks again last summer, and their communication channels have been open again this year.
Yet Whitwell adds that United aren’t currently seriously looking at Sesko as a summer signing. The fee Leipzig would demand and the wages the striker would want are deemed “incompatible with United’s budget and his performances in the Bundesliga”.
Sesko appeared to be Arsenal’s first-choice target for the summer window at one point, after it became clear that Alexander Isak was off the table. The Gunners had already bid for Sesko in 2024, and made another approach in January 2025.
But Arsenal are now pursuing Viktor Gyokeres instead, with reports suggesting the finances were the primary sticking point.
The club weren’t willing to offer anywhere close to what Leipzig wanted, reportedly in the region of €90m (£78.1m). Even with Sporting digging their heels in over the Gyokeres fee, it’s still unlikely to go beyond £64m all-in.
News of Manchester United being put off by Leipzig and Sesko’s demands further bolster those claims about Arsenal’s failed pursuit.
United badly need a good striker and have already shown they’re willing to spend big this summer to get back into European football. If Sesko would cost them too much to even come to the negotiating table, it would likely be the same story for Arsenal.