RB Leipzig boss delivers Benjamin Sesko update after striker is left out of squad amid interest from Newcastle and Man Utd

Schafer was asked by reporters after the game about Sesko's conspicuous absence, which came just as transfer links with both Manchester United and Newcastle have been ramping up.

Sky Sport Germany's Philipp Hinze relayed that both United and Newcastle are "fully in" when it comes to Sesko, stating that the reason the Slovenian striker didn't feature. With no time to spare, talks are expected to continue immediately on Saturday night. United have identified Sesko as a target after whittling down a list of targets that included Ollie Watkins, while Newcastle appear to be preparing themselves to lose Alexander Isak amid his desire to leave St James' Park and strong interest from Liverpool.

Schafer said: "We won't go into detail on that, but when I say that several clubs have shown strong interest and have made approaches, it's obvious what has happened."

If Leipzig have been forced to leave Sesko out of their pre-season preparations because of the unsettling impact of developments regarding his future, it suggests that he could feasibly be on the move relatively soon. Talks are ongoing as Manchester United and Newcastle attempt to secure a deal and both will want to have him in place before the Premier League season starts in just two weeks. Leipzig won't want things to drag on either if they are resigned to losing Sesko, needing time to find a suitable replacement.