Highly-rated RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has rejected Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United to sign a new deal in Germany.
Fabrizio Romano reports that the Slovenian has agreed new terms in what will be a blow to the Premier League giants.
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Earlier, Kicker disclosed that Sesko had a €65million [£55m] release clause in his contract that would activate on June 30. However, Leipzig planned to ‘buy out’ this clause as part of negotiating an extension.
This plan has now materialized, ensuring the 21-year-old’s continued presence in the Bundesliga following a standout season where he netted 18 goals across 42 matches in all competitions.
Sesko’s agreement is similar to what Erling Haaland did when he stayed at Borussia Dortmund for another season.
talkSPORT understands that so interested were Arsenal in the Slovenian that Leipzig even phoned the London side to inform them he was staying.
Chelsea and Manchester United had also shown keen interest, with Sesko being on the radar of Europe’s elite clubs for some time, having developed his skills at the renowned Red Bull Salzburg academy.
He moved to RB’s senior side Leipzig in the summer of 2023, and has since become a must-watch with a number of extraordinary highlight reel goals.
However, Sesko was surprisingly outshone by 28-goal fellow striker Lois Openda in 2023/24. He also had a chance to make a name for himself in a Champions League last 16 tie with Real Madrid but missed six guilt-edged chances in a 1-0 defeat.
The young striker can now make amends in the coming weeks having been drawn in a Euro 2024 group with England, Denmark and Serbia.
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The tournament marks Slovenia’s first European Championships since 2000, and Sesko has already become a star, scoring 11 goals in 29 games and he’s well on the way to their all-time record of 33 goals.
