Man Utd and Arsenal handed new Benjamin Sesko update as release clause details emerge

Manchester United and Arsenal may have to pay as much as £66million to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko this summer after the emergence of fresh details about his release clause. Sesko is widely expected to be on the move ahead of the 2025/26 season amid strong links with a blockbuster Premier League transfer.

United are reportedly long-term suitors in the 21-year-old but have instead splashed a combined £108.5m on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee over the last two years. Sesko scored 29 goals in 79 games for RB Salzburg before joining Red Bull's German outfit in 2022. He has netted 35 times in 76 appearances since, including 17 in 34 this season, attracting heavyweight interest.

Benjamin Sesko is set to move in the summer.

United and Arsenal have been among the clubs tipped to swoop for Sesko in the summer, with both Ruben Amorim and Mikel Arteta primed to target a new striker.

However, neither will yet know the Slovenia international's price tag due to the dynamic release clause in his Leipzig contract.

According to Sky Germany, Sesko has a formally fixed release clause that clubs can trigger from this summer until his 2029 expiry.

It's claimed the value of the clause will depend on multiple factors, including games played, goals and assists, and will increase as the season goes on.

The report adds that the clause is currently worth around £58m but is likely to rise to the region of £66m before the campaign ends.

United and Arsenal are said to be joined by other elite English clubs in the race to sign Sesko, with Tottenham Hotspur also expressing an interest.

However, Manchester City are considered out of the frame as Pep Guardiola focuses on other areas of his squad to freshen up.

Amorim is suffering from an attacking crisis at Old Trafford, with his only senior striker, Hojlund, enduring an 18-game goal drought.

INEOS' first signing, Zirkzee, has transitioned into an attacking midfielder in Amorim's 3-4-3 system, while Marcus Rashford has left for Aston Villa on loan.

Chido Obi has broken through from the academy to provide extra firepower, making three appearances off the bench against Spurs, Everton and Fulham in recent weeks.

However, the 17-year-old is still a raw talent, and Amorim's desperate need for external reinforcements in the summer transfer window is clear.

Sesko's price tag could be out of United's price range, with INEOS expected to prioritise lower-cost deals alongside player sales to address multiple areas.