Liverpool has been linked with a summer move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. The interest is believed to be mutual, and the Reds feel a reduced fee may be possible.
It would be harsh to call anywhere an obvious area of improvement for Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk set to lift the Premier League trophy at the weekend. But Arne Slot is not shying away from the potential to get even better, and the striking department is probably a natural place to start.
The title-winners have been majorly reliant on Mohamed Salah as a source of goals throughout the season. Darwin Nunez has barely made an impression, and his departure now looks on the cards after three underwhelming Anfield seasons.
According to DaveOCKOP, it is a Nunez departure that could trigger a move for Sesko. The club intends to channel funds from that potential deal into a move for a new number nine.
And any such funds would certainly be needed. Sesko is said to be valued as highly as $113 million (£84 million) by RB Leipzig, although the Reds are optimistic that they could get that price down.
Sure enough, if anyone can reduce the fee, it has to be Liverpool. It has shopped so often at the Red Bull clubs that it must have earned a Sesko Clubcard by now.
But apparently it is actually Sesko’s positive relationship with RB Leipzig that could see the price come down. He is said to be “keen” on a move to Liverpool, which could convince his club to be a little more accommodating.
Leipzig’s collapse to outside the European places will surely also grease the wheels of a departure. It reeks of an astute transfer opportunity.
In an ideal world, Liverpool could even cover most of the cost with the fee it receives for Nunez. There has been talk of interest from Saudi Arabia, which was the source of a $77 million bid back in January.
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Every little helps, and making such an upgrade up front for close to a neutral impact in fees and wages would be some going for Richard Hughes and Liverpool. The club doesn’t need to sell to buy this summer, but its self-sustaining model is well-known, and this would allow other funds to be allocated elsewhere.
Sesko has long been linked with a move to one of Europe’s giants, and Liverpool is not the only side with interest this summer. There are at least three Premier League clubs monitoring the situation, and there is interest from the continent as well.
Strong, quick and powerful, Sesko’s profile is not altogether dissimilar from Nunez’s. But even at the young age of 21, he has already established a settled reputation as a clinical finisher, a tag that could not be applied to Liverpool’s current number nine.
There are areas where the Slovenian could improve, and his arrival would probably not be quite as exciting as some of the other names to have been mooted. Alexander Isak remains the dream arrival, while Julian Alvarez offers a lot to get excited about too.
But Sesko would certainly be a coup, especially if Liverpool really could get the price tag down. One way or another, it is shaping up to be a thrilling summer.
