(Football news) Erling Haaland may have only turned 22 earlier this month, but Benjamin Sesko has already been dubbed as 'the next Haaland' which speaks volumes of the Slovenian's talent. After breaking onto the scene with Salzburg, the striker has continued to shine with clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are going all out to sign the 19 year old.
Six months before Erling Haaland left RB Salzburg for Borussia Dortmund, the Austrian side secured the services of Benjamin Sesko. The Slovenian had to wait patiently for his chance to secure a starting berth at Salzburg having spent two seasons on loan at sister club FC Liefering. Sesko struggled for regular minutes at the club as he scored just five goals across 24 appearances. Last season he came back and largely played second fiddle to Karim Adeyemi and Noah Okafor, but now Adeyemi moved to Borussia Dortmund which meant that the teenager had the chance to consolidate a starting spot. Sesko took the opportunity with both hands as he netted the opener in Salzburg's opening day 3-0 win over Austria Wien last week in the Austrian league.
How long he'll remain in Austria remains to be seen as he has suitors not only from the Premier League suitors but also from the La Liga. Labelled as 'The Next Erling Haaland', the striker stands at 6'4" and uses his powerful build to get the better of defenders. Despite his stature, the teenager has ample pace to drive past opponents or time his runs to perfection in his quest for a goal. He is usually the first one to capitalise on parried shots on goal or if he does hang off the shoulder of the last defender, he tends to beat the offside trap.
Sesko is capable of finishing well with his right or left foot and the two-footedness to his game means he can at times prove very difficult to read for the opposition defender. This quality has helped raise his player valuation considerably and when you take into account that only eight players have scored in excess of five goals with their right foot and their left foot in Europe's top five leagues last season, it is something that the modern game demands. Sesko is also a solid aerial threat inside the opposition area as the youngster is able to find pockets of space between the defence and midfield that enables him to link up play in attack. He uses his strength to hold off pressure from markers and allow those in behind to make runs, maximising the space he has worked through his movement. His movement is somewhat similar to Edinson Cavani as he has a tendency to play just behind the back of the defender.
Interest in Sesko has risen tremendously in recent months with United the front runners for the Slovenia international. Question marks over Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford continue to linger, with United having been linked with a number of strikers this summer. It seems that Ten Hag is eyeing up a specific type of forward in order to succeed Ronaldo should he depart this summer, one that performed in a similar style as Sebastien Haller did for Ajax last season. VfB Stuttgart's Sasa Kalajdzic is another name being rumoured for United but Sesko seems like the number one option. Salzburg are keen to retain his services with a view to sell him next summer but the Austrian side are aware that a big enough bid would allow them to reinvest that money. Sesko seems the perfect striker for United if they can get this deal done and he could prove the perfect frontman to succeed Ronaldo at Old Trafford next season.
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