Benjamin Sesko: Why RB Leipzig want €100m despite €80m release clause – and what’s he really worth?

Benjamin Sesko continues to make waves in the transfer market, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all still in the running for the RB Leipzig striker.

Coming off a campaign in which he scored 13 goals and created five more in the Bundesliga, Sesko is most coveted for his potential.

At 21 years old, the Slovenia international has all the attributes to make it to the very top, and RB Leipzig are trying to exploit this by selling the hitman for €100 million this summer – despite the player having an €80m release clause.

What’s Leipzig’s plan?

RB Leipzig are holding out for a higher sum than Sesko’s release fee because that will come with conditions.

Bild reports that the Bundesliga side will give more favourable payment terms to any team willing to pay more money for him. This could be advantageous to any club stretching to raise immediate funds to sign the player, although it is worth noting that it will have little immediate impact on their Financial Fair Play situation due to the accountancy methods used to by teams.

For a club like Manchester United that does not want to part with €80m in one immediate lump sum, it may be seen as an attractive option to pay more in multiple instalments. This equally applies to Chelsea and Arsenal, too.

Leipzig are hoping a Premier League team will take up this option because they want to sell Sesko at a premium fee.

What is Sesko worth?

Sesko’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €66.9m, which is below both the value of his release clause and RB Leipzig’s ideal price.

This is a career-high figure for Sesko, though it would have been higher had he enjoyed a more successful conclusion to the season. After showing electric form in December, his momentum was halted by a red card against Stuttgart and never recovered.

The striker, who is under contract until 2029, also has something to prove in the Champions League after netting only one goal in his last six games in Europe’s premier club competition.

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