Occasionally, professional footballers are put in the privileged position of being able to pick between clubs that are eagerly seeking their services. This appears to be the case for the Slovenian 22-year-old, Benjamin Sesko. The RB Leipzig striker is a transfer target of both Newcastle United and Manchester United, with both clubs reportedly having bids accepted for the player.
The question is, should Sesko opt to join Eddie Howe at Newcastle or Ruben Amorim at Manchester? Or, alternatively, should he ignore the advances of the two Premier League sides and stay put in the Bundesliga or perhaps wait for a better offer from a different club?
In this article, we’ll assess the relative merits of joining the Magpies or the Red Devils, and whether Sesko might be leaning one way or another. Before that, we’ll give a brief overview of the player in question.
Who Is Benjamin Sesko?
Born in the small town of Radeče in eastern Slovenia in May 2003, Benjamin Sesko played for some local teams as a youth before joining Slovenian top-flight side Domžale in 2018. Aged just 16, he was signed by Red Bull Salzburg and immediately sent out to their feeder club FC Liefering in the Austrian second tier. Sesko’s breakthrough season came in 2020/21 when he netted 21 goals in just 29 games for Liefering. After that, he played a couple of seasons for Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga, scoring 11 goals in 37 games in 2021/22 and 18 in 41 the following season (in all competitions).
Sesko then moved to RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga for a fee in the region of €24 million. In Germany, Sesko scored 18 goals in 42 games in 2023/24 and 21 in 45 matches in the season just gone. He began to catch the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan all reported to have shown interest. But now it appears Sesko has the choice between Man United and Newcastle. Although he is under no obligation to move, as his contract runs until 2029.
Which Club Is Bigger, Manchester United or Newcastle United?
If we’re looking at the history of the respective clubs, international fanbase and revenues generated, Manchester United is far bigger than Newcastle on all measures. On a purely financial basis, according to Deloitte’s Football Money League 2025, Man United were the fourth biggest club in the world in 2023/24 based on revenues (after Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain). United brought in a whopping total of €770.6m in that season, compared to Newcastle’s total of €317.8m, which was only enough to put them in 15th place.
Of course, Newcastle are still a big club, financially speaking, and especially since they were purchased by the Saudi-backed consortium in 2021, since when their revenues have more than doubled. But the Magpies simply can’t compete when it comes to the number of trophies in the cabinet. To be fair, Newcastle have won plenty of trophies… but most of them were a long time ago. They have won the English top flight four times, but most recently in 1926/27. And their haul of six FA Cups is also impressive, except for the fact that the last came back in 1954/55. At least they added a trophy in 2024/25, beating Liverpool to win the League Cup for the first time.
Man United, meanwhile, have won numerous trophies over their illustrious history, with 20 top-flight titles, 13 FA Cups, six League Cups, three European Cups/Champions Leagues… and so on. So if we’re looking at history, Man United are streets ahead of Newcastle. But of course, Sesko might be far more interested in the future of the respective clubs than their historical successes.
Where Would Sesko Win More Silverware?
Sky Sports News understands there is now a growing feeling that Benjamin Sesko wants to join Manchester United over Newcastle 💼 pic.twitter.com/IFehdnNSOS
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 6, 2025
Both clubs have highly rated young managers. Howe guided Newcastle to the League Cup and fifth place in the Premier League last term. Amorim, meanwhile, led Sporting to Primeira Liga titles in Portugal in 2020/21 and 2023/24, and played at least a part in their triumphant defence of their title in 2024/25. He only arrived at Man United in November 2024, so he can’t take all the responsibility for his side’s appalling 15th-place finish in the league. He led them to the Europa League final (although they lost that to fellow strugglers Tottenham), which is something. But which manager is more likely to bring sustained success to their club?
Based on the current transfer window, you would have to suggest that Man United have made better investments in their squad than Newcastle. And things could get very much worse for the Magpies if they lose the services of Liverpool target Alexander Isak (which is, of course, why they are desperately trying to sign Sesko!). The big-money purchases of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo (from Wolves and Brentford, respectively) show the Man United board are backing Amorim’s vision of how to improve a team that has underperformed for far too long.
For their part, Newcastle have signed the talented Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, but no one else of real clout at this stage. If Isak were to leave the club, Sesko could at least spearhead the attack, but it would certainly leave Howe with fewer effective attacking options, and the chances of the club competing for the title appear slim.
Of course, it is highly unlikely Amorim will have his side in good enough shape to compete for much in the coming season. So, for Sesko, it might be a question of which club’s (or manager’s) vision he most buys into. Of course, the fact that Newcastle will be playing in the Champions League could also be a major factor.
Sometimes the Best Option Is to Do Nothing…
Although Sesko has reportedly suggested he would like to join Manchester United, there is a school of thought that suggests the player might be better served playing one more season in the Bundesliga. He is still just 22 years old, and having settled into life at Leipzig, he could really shine in the coming season.
He’s scored 13 and 14 league goals in the last two seasons. But if he scored 25+ in the upcoming campaign, he could secure a move to a massive club that is regularly competing for the major trophies. The ball is in Sesko’s court, but if we were advising the player, we’d suggest sitting tight and knuckling down, with the hope of a move to an even bigger, better club at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.