Newcastle United went to great lengths to try and sign Benjamin Sesko before he joined Manchester United this summer.
Newcastle were prepared to break their transfer record to sign Sesko from RB Leipzig as they looked to replace Alexander Isak before actually selling the Sweden international.
Ultimately, Newcastle missed out and Sesko joined Man United for around £66.26million, although the deal could reportedly rise to £73.62million.
The forward has since scored two goals in nine games for the Red Devils and is some way behind the man Newcastle eventually ended up with in the form of Nick Woltemade.
There was a theory that Sesko’s agents were using Newcastle’s interest to prompt Man United into action and his recent comments appear to confirm that.
Benjamin Sesko claims he only ever wanted to join Manchester United
Sesko was linked with various Premier League clubs, including Arsenal.
While Sesko was impressed with Newcastle during transfer talks, there appeared to be a school of thought that he was simply waiting for the Old Trafford giants to make their move.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Sesko was asked whether the Manchester giants were the “only club” he wanted to join.
“Yeah, because, for me, this was a dream to play for a club like this and a stadium like this,” he said. “It’s something that I always wanted.”
That would appear to confirm what the Magpies were thinking. Newcastle felt they were strung along by Sesko’s agents and the fact he only ever had eyes for Old Trafford would suggest they were correct.
Benjamin Sesko snub helped Newcastle United strike transfer gold
If Newcastle signed Sesko, it’s impossible to imagine they’d have also moved for Woltemade.
While these are early days, the fact Sesko rejected them no longer looks like a major issue. Perhaps he will one day establish himself as a leading Premier League forward, but there’s little doubt that he’s not made as good a start as Woltemade.
It will take years to know exactly who got the better deal but the early evidence suggests Newcastle are no worse off despite being rejected by Sesko.
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