Newcastle United transfer news: Benjamin Sesko has been linked with a move to St James’ Park if Alexander Isak joins Liverpool this summer.

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has been heavily-linked with a move to the Premier League over recent years and has emerged as a top target for Newcastle United this summer. The Magpies have been linked with Sesko for a while now and were reportedly in the hunt for his signature before his switch to Leipzig from RB Salzburg two summers ago.

Fresh interest from Tyneside in the Slovenian international has emerged recently amid rumours over Alexander Isak’s future at the club. Isak, who has not travelled to Asia with the first-team, is reportedly interested in exploring his options elsewhere this summer with Liverpool among the top contenders for his signature.

Newcastle United’s stance remains that Isak is not for sale, but failing to source a replacement for the Swedish international would be a catastrophic failure. Signing Sesko as a direct replacement for Isak would make the bitter pill of Isak leaving just that little easier to swallow.

Newcastle United’s transfer interest in Benjamin Sesko

Sesko is expected to be the latest talent to be developed in the Red Bull system and moved on for big money. Newcastle United, long time admirers of the striker, will be hopeful of striking a deal for the 22-year-old this summer, and reports from Germany and Fabrizio Romano state that they could do so at a significantly cut-price fee.

According to Bild, a price of around €70m (£60m) could be enough to tempt Leipzig into selling Sesko this summer. That is supported by Romano who claims that a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between the club and player could see him leave for €70m - €80m this summer for a select few ‘special’ clubs.

He posted on X: ‘There’s gentlemen agreement between Benjamin Šeško and RB Leipzig. The price tag for limited clubs could be reduced to range of €70-80m plus €5-10m add-ons. This is only valid for few clubs considered “special” by Šeško.’

Whether Newcastle United fall into that ‘special’ category is unknown, but the Magpies can offer him Champions League football next season. Something that RB Leipzig or Manchester United, who have also been linked with a move for him, cannot match.

Sesko’s stature and footballing career to date has seen comparisons between him and Erling Haaland emerge in German football. Both players starred at RB Salzburg before scoring goals for fun in the Bundesliga.

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Leipzig’s former technical director Christopher Vivell has previously described Sesko as a ‘special’ player with a ‘special’ profile: "Benjamin Šeško is among the game’s top young talents and has enormous potential to become a top player,” Vivell said as quoted by Bundesliga.com.

“He has all the qualities to do that. He’s extremely quick, has a great jump on him and is strong in the air. Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who despite his 1.95m (6'4") is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile."

Sesko netted 13 goals in the German top-flight last season, plus four apiece in the DFB Pokal and Champions League.