Sport newspaper revealed that Barcelona officials are frustrated by Benjamin Sesko’s move from Leipzig to Manchester United this summer.
Barcelona did not enter negotiations with the Slovenian striker, and lacked the flexibility to sign a new striker in light of the current financial crisis. Furthermore, the board and Hansi Flick are confident that Robert Lewandowski will continue until his contract expires next June.
However, Sport reported that Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, had Sesko as his first choice to succeed Lewandowski in the summer of 2026 and was willing to activate the player’s release clause in Leipzig and bring him to the Catalan club.
Deco saw Sesko as the ideal player to replace Lewandowski. He is tall and has a great sense of goal, and his success in the Bundesliga is similar to Lewandowski’s (albeit less so, of course). He assured him that he would be able to fill the 37-year-old’s void.
Ultimately, Sesko didn’t wait until 2026, deciding to leave Leipzig immediately after Manchester United made a record-breaking offer of around €90 million. He preferred the Red Devils to the huge offer from Newcastle United.
It’s worth noting that some Catalan newspapers have identified Erling Haaland as a potential option to lead Barcelona’s attack in the summer of 2026, especially with Pep Guardiola’s expected departure from Manchester City, although the deal would be extremely complicated in any case.
