Manchester United have secured a deal in principle for Benjamin Sesko, outpacing Newcastle United in the race for the highly-rated forward. The agreement with RB Leipzig is valued at an initial £66.3 million (€76.5 million), with an additional £7.37 million (€8.5 million) in performance-related bonuses. Sesko, 22, is already in Manchester and is set to undergo his medical examination on Friday. If everything proceeds as planned, he could be officially unveiled at Old Trafford on Saturday during United's final pre-season friendly against Fiorentina.

Newcastle had pursued the Slovenian international for several weeks, even submitting a higher second bid of £69.7 million plus add-ons after an initial offer of just under £70 million. However, Sesko's preference for joining Manchester United ultimately proved decisive.

Club officials at Old Trafford are thrilled with the outcome, particularly since they avoided a bidding war while securing a player eager to be part of Erik ten Hag's project. Director of football Jason Wilcox played a pivotal role in finalizing the deal, collaborating with director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and chief negotiator Matt Hargreaves, who traveled to Leipzig to finalize the terms.

The negotiations with RB Leipzig were described as professional, and they progressed rapidly once Sesko made it clear that he only wanted to join Manchester United. The striker, who missed Leipzig’s recent pre-season loss to Atalanta, had already informed his teammates of his decision and trained separately from the squad earlier this week.

For Manchester United fans, Sesko’s arrival represents more than just a new signing it signals that Old Trafford can still attract top-tier talent, even in the absence of Champions League football.