Benjamin Sesko to Man United: Where striker will rank in Red Devils' most expensive signings after £73.7m 'agreement'

Manchester United and RB Leipzig have struck an agreement in principle for the transfer of Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko, according to a report.

The Red Devils have been locked in a two-horse race with Newcastle United for the 22-year-old, who was said to have been leaning towards a move to the Theatre of Dreams in recent hours.

The Magpies refused to give up hope of beating Man United to a deal for Sesko after seeing a first bid fall short of Leipzig's valuation, but the former Red Bull Salzburg starlet has been seduced by the 20-time English champions.

Following a breakthrough in club-to-club conversations, The Athletic reports that Man United and Leipzig have shaken hands on a deal for Sesko, who will join the Red Devils for up to €85m (£73.7m).

Sesko fee broken down as Man United reach 'agreement' with Leipzig

The Red Devils will reportedly pay an upfront fee of €76.5m (£66.3m) for the Slovenian marksman, and Leipzig could receive another €8.5m (£7.4m) through performance-related add-ons.

Sesko has supposedly been given the green light to head to Manchester and complete his medical tests before signing his long-term contract with Ruben Amorim's side, whom he will join as their third marquee signing of the summer after Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

While Newcastle and Man United both had £73.7m bids accepted by Leipzig earlier this week, Sesko has chosen to join the Red Devils, who concluded the club-to-club operation in a 'relatively smooth' and 'fast' manner.

The 22-year-old leaves the Red Bull Arena having amassed 39 goals and eight assists in 87 appearances for Leipzig in all competitions, including 21 goals in the 2024-25 campaign.

Sesko was previously heavily linked with a move to Arsenal earlier in the summer window, but the Gunners moved on to Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres after Leipzig's demands supposedly proved too much.

Where will Sesko rank among Man United's most expensive signings?

Should the full £73.7m package be reached, Sesko will share a place with Jadon Sancho for the fourth-most expensive Man United signing of all time.

The Red Devils paid Borussia Dortmund that exact amount for the attacker in 2021, and only Harry Maguire (£80m), Antony (£85m) and Paul Pogba (£91m) have arrived at Old Trafford for more down the years.

However, if Sesko fails to cut the mustard at Man United and the Red Devils pay no more than the initial £66.3m for his services, he will be seventh on their all-time signings list, also behind fellow strikers Romelu Lukaku and Rasmus Hojlund.

Man United face Fiorentina in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday, but Sesko will almost certainly not make his debut in that fixture, so a first appearance may instead come his way against old admirers Arsenal on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.