A host of Europe's top clubs have reportedly discovered the asking price of in-demand RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko ahead of the summer transfer window.
After excelling in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg, Sesko has since elevated his game to new heights in Germany with Leipzig, where he has scored 37 goals in 82 appearances since joining the club in 2023.
The 21-year-old netted 18 goals in 42 matches during his debut campaign with Die Roten Bullen when he initially had to settle for a rotation role, making an impact on several occasions off the substitutes' bench.
This season, Sesko has started 36 of his 40 games across all competitions, netting 11 times in the Bundesliga and four goals in both the Champions League and DFB-Pokal.
Although Sesko is under contract at the Red Bull Arena until the summer of 2029, the 6ft 4in Slovenia international has been tipped to leave Leipzig and join a bigger club ahead of next season.
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Leipzig could entertain club-record sale of Sesko this summer
According to German news outlet Bild, there has been talk of a gentlemen's agreement between Sesko and Leipzig for the striker to leave this summer for around €70m (£60.1m).
Leipzig are said to have promised Sesko's representatives that the striker can join a top club this summer, but the fee is 'freely negotiable' and the Bundesliga club are now hoping to receive a fee closer to €100m (£85.9m).
Their most expensive ever sale stands at €90m which they received from Manchester City for Josko Gvardiol in 2023, and it understood that Sesko is expected to reach that mark or potentially exceed it if he is sold this summer.
It is thought that Sesko is more likely to leave Leipzig this summer if the club fails to qualify for next season's Champions League; they currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga but they are only two points clear of Mainz 05 in fifth with five games remaining.
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Which clubs are in the race to sign in-demand Sesko?
One club who have Sesko on their radar is Manchester United, and their sporting director Christopher Vivell is said to have a close relationship with the striker, as it was he who helped facilitate his transfers to Salzburg and then Leipzig.
The Red Devils are known to be in the market for a new striker and are planning to sell one of their own forward options this summer to generate funds, as both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have failed to reach the heights expected at Old Trafford.
Fellow Premier League sides Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest in Sesko, although the latter are understood to have 'little chance' of winning the race for his signature.
Serie A outfit AC Milan are also keen to lure Sesko away from Leipzig, but it is thought that the striker would favour a move to the Premier League over joining an Italian side at this stage.
Oliver Thomas
