Slovenian football star goes to Manchester United
Slovenian football phenom Benjamin Šeško is now officially a new Manchester United player having put pen to paper on a five-year contract in what is the biggest transfer in Slovenian football history. Several clubs expressed an interest in the 22-year-old this summer, but it was clear that Šeško had his mind set on joining the Red Devils, a squad seeking to retain the old glory.
The English Premier League club agreed to pay RB Leipzig, where Šeško has spent the last two years, an initial £66.3 million (€76.5 million) and £7.37 million (€8.5 million) in performance related add-ons. According to the portal transfermarkt, the deal is the 13th biggest in Premier League history, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.
The decision wraps up the Slovenia international's transfer saga, which saw several clubs pursuing him this summer, including Arsenal and Newcastle and some from Saudi Arabia. Newcastle seemed to be the biggest rival of United in the end, having made two offers for Šeško, with the latest one valuing him at €90 million. Unlike the Red Devils, the Magpies could provide Champions League football too.
Despite this and despite the fact that he could have earned more at Newcastle, the Slovenian chose United as it appears that a move to Old Trafford has been a long-time dream of his.
It was reported on 7 August that the deal was all but signed, and having completed all the formalities, including a medical, Šeško officially committed to United on 9 August to become the third most expensive player so far in this summer window of transfers.
"When you're young, you dream big. You imagine moments, stadiums, and shirts you hope will one day be yours. Today, I'm stepping into that dream. Proud to be a Red Devil. Let's go, Manchester United," he wrote in an Instagram post.
Manchester United are considered one of the most prestigious football clubs, having won practically all there is to win, but the Red Devils have not been doing so well in recent years.
The squad finished 15th in the Premier League standings in the last season, which is their worst showing ever since the league was established in 1992, and the last time they were the league's champions was in 2013. They hope that the arrival of the Slovenian star will turn things for the better as they aim to return to the Champions League.
According to Slovenian and foreign media reports, Šeško's salary will be £160,000 (about €185,000) per week at Old Trafford, which translates into roughly £8 million or €10 million per year. The weekly figure is expected to rise to £200,000 (some €230,000) if the Red Devils secure a return to the most prestigious European football tournament. His salary at Leipzig has been nearly €109,000 gross per week, the portal Capology says.
This is still considerably lower than what Jan Oblak, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, receives at Atletico Madrid, as the Slovenia national team captain reportedly gets €400,000 per week.
Šeško is expected to be unveiled as a United player on 9 August when the Red Devils face Fiorentina at Old Trafford in their final pre-season friendly, and is then likely to make his United debut in the club's Premier League opener against Arsenal on 17 August.
He scored 21 goals for RB Leipzig in the previous season, bringing his total for the German team since 2023 to 39 goals and eight assists in 87 games. It was precisely his stellar performances in the Bundesliga that made a number of clubs want to sign him. He has drawn comparisons to Manchester City star Erling Haaland because of their similar physical profiles as the two are both very tall and quick.
Šeško also held the previous record for Slovenia's biggest transfer, with Leipzig paying €24 million to Salzburg in 2023. He made his first-team debut for Salzburg at the beginning of 2021 and went on to win three Austrian Bundesliga titles and one Austrian Cup.
Born in Radeče in eastern Slovenia, Šeško went to Salzburg from the Slovenian club Domžale in 2019 when he ended his junior career. Due to FIFA transfer rules on club compensation, Domžale will now get 2% of the deal's value, or some €1.7 million, meaning the club has received more than €7 million in total compensation for his former superstar-calibre player, the sports portal Ekipa reported.
Šeško's goal-scoring abilities have also made a difference in the Slovenia national team where he is already considered one of the key players despite his young age. He became the youngest Slovenia international in 2021 and scored his first goal for the national team in October 2021, making him Slovenia's youngest ever goalscorer. Since then he has scored 16 goals for the national team in 41 appearances.
