Šeško follows Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo as new signings for Manchester United this summer.
Manchester United have completed the signing of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško in a transfer worth €76.5 million.
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The deal for the Slovenian international, who has signed a five-year contract, includes a guaranteed payment of £66.3 million, with the rest in bonuses. He will be United’s third major attacking signing this summer, after Matheus Cunha (£62.5 million) and Bryan Mbeumo (£65 million plus £6 million in bonuses).
Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League last year, while Newcastle finished fifth and qualified for the Champions League in a season they also won the EFL Cup.
“The history of Manchester United is obviously very special, but what really captivates me is the future,” Šeško said.
“When we discussed the project, it was clear that everything is in place for this team to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon. From the first moment I arrived, I could feel the positive energy and family atmosphere the club has created. This is clearly the perfect place to reach my maximum level and fulfill all my ambitions. I’m looking forward to learning from Ruben and creating chemistry with his teammates to achieve the success we all know we can achieve together.”
What will Šeško bring to Old Trafford?
Šeško has spent the last two seasons in Germany with Leipzig, having joined from sister club Salzburg in 2023.
He scored 39 goals in 87 appearances in all competitions, with eight assists – 27 of which came in 64 Bundesliga games.
Šeško is the highest scoring player under the age of 23 in Europe’s top five leagues (all competitions). He is ahead of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and five goals ahead of Florian Wirtz, who signed for Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £100 million this summer.
Šeško was one of the Bundesliga’s fastest strikers with a top speed of 35.7 km/h. Thanks to his height (1.95 m), he also had the highest win rate in dogfights among strikers (57.4%).
Only six forwards have scored more goals in the Bundesliga in the last two seasons, although Šeško ranked 16th in expected goals (xG), 14th in shots and 22nd in touches in the opponent’s box.
He’s also dangerous at long range: 36.8% of his shots (and 23.1% of goals) came from outside the box – both numbers are higher than any Bundesliga striker with 12+ goals last year.
Last year, he also developed into a more versatile player, with only 9.7% of touches in the opponent’s box (compared to 17% the year before), while engaging more on the wings and deeper in midfield.
“Benjamin possesses a rare combination of explosive speed and physical dominance over defenders, making him one of the world’s most unique young talents,” said Manchester United sporting director Jason Wilcox.
“We have followed Benjamin’s career closely and all our data analysis concluded that he has the right qualities and personality to flourish at Manchester United. Under Ruben’s guidance and with our outstanding performance team, Benjamin has found the perfect environment to reach his world-class potential.”
What does this mean for Højlund?
Šeško’s arrival calls into question Danish Rasmus Hojlund’s future at the club.
Read: “We’ve had conversations, and it’s clear we can’t have Alexander Isak involved in the squad right now”
Højlund has recently expressed a desire to stay, even though the competition for a place in Amorim’s starting lineup is increasing.
However, according to reports, United are willing to sell the 22-year-old for £30 million, and Italian side AC Milan are interested – although they currently want a loan.
Hojlund has only scored 14 Premier League goals in two seasons since joining United for £72 million from Atalanta.
