Manchester United negotiated a friendly with RB Leipzig when they agreed a deal for striker Benjamin Sesco last summer.
Manchester United held friendly talks with RB Leipzig as they finalize terms of Benjamin Sesco’s contract
Manchester United’s proposed friendly against RB Leipzig as part of their bid to sign Benjamin Sesco will not take place this summer.
However, Mirror Football could reveal that the Bundesliga side will head to England before the start of the 2026-27 season and instead face Leeds United at Elland Road.
The match is scheduled for the weekend starting Aug. 8, after both clubs return from trips to the United States and Austria respectively. Final details will be announced soon.
Red Bull bought a minority stake in Leeds and became the front shirt sponsor for the Whites ahead of the 2024-25 season, when they won the Championship title and secured promotion to the top flight.
Relations between the clubs have significantly improved since November 2022, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Leipzig’s appeal and ordered Leipzig to pay Jean-Kevin Augustin £18.4 million.
At the time, Leeds were in dispute over whether they should pay a ‘duty to buy’ striker as the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that ordeal is now firmly over.
Meanwhile, Manchester United paid Leipzig an initial £66.3m for Sesco in August last year, plus a further £7.4m in potential bonuses.
Around £3.45 million of these add-ons were triggered after United qualified for next season’s Champions League.
It is understood that the Slovenian national team player has reached a certain standard in terms of appearance and performance that have not been made public.
Manchester United signed Benjamin Sesco from RB Leipzig last summer (Image: PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images)
Further bonuses are in the pipeline for the duration of Sesco’s contract at Old Trafford, with future friendlies between the clubs expected to generate up to £1.75 million in potential earnings.
Sesco has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this season, but missed the final three games of the season due to injury.
Slovenia national team boss Jan Cesar recently complained that Sesco will not be available for the upcoming friendlies against Cyprus and Croatia.
He said: “He missed the last general meeting in March and I was hoping he would be away for a while at United, but he came back shortly afterwards and I don’t think he missed any club games.”
“But if a player hasn’t been in the competitive rhythm for a month, I don’t think there’s any point in him coming in and playing at half-hearted strength.”
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