RB Leipzig sign signaled Man Utd target Sesko for 2023

Benjamin Sesko has signed for Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, although he won't officially become their player until July 2023.

Sesko was highly sought after after the 2021-22 season, in which he scored 11 goals in all competitions - including one in Champions League play-off - for Austrian side Salzburg.

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He has already spent time on loan at second-tier Liefering, scoring 21 goals in 29 league appearances, while he scored the winner for Salzburg in a pre-season friendly against Liverpool in July .

Viewed as the next potential star of the Austrian club's production line after Erling Haaland and Karim Adeyemi, Sesko has reportedly attracted interest from Premier League clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

However, the 19-year-old Slovenian international chose to join Salzburg's sister club Leipzig instead.

The Bundesliga side have signed Sesko on a five-year contract which will start on July 1 next year.

Sesko explained how Leipzig's track record of improving youngsters and providing them with first-team opportunities attracted him to the club.

He said on the club's official website: "RB Leipzig are one of the best clubs in Germany and are establishing themselves as one of the best in Europe year after year.

"A success story has been written here in just a few years and I want to be part of it in the future.

"The club's philosophy of trusting young players and playing attractive, attacking football suits me perfectly. The city, the stadium and all the infrastructure of RB Leipzig, as well as the many good discussions with the club , convinced me that this decision was absolutely the right decision.

"My focus now is on the season with Salzburg, which I want to use to continue to develop and be as successful as possible."

Christopher Vivell, Technical Director of Leipzig, said: "Benjamin is one of the best young talents in Europe and has great potential to become one of the best."

“We managed to pull off a brilliant transfer,” said Commercial Director Florian Scholz. "We are very proud that Benjamin decided to come to RB Leipzig because he had a lot of offers from other clubs and we faced great competition."

Leipzig are also expected to confirm the return of the club's top scorer, Timo Werner, from Chelsea.

They have to be without German defender Lukas Klostermann for several weeks, however, after suffering an ankle ligament injury.