How shirt and AI presentation convinced Benjamin Sesko to snub Newcastle and sign for Man Utd

Sesko headed United to a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday with his seventh goal in eight matches in all competitions, taking him to nine strikes in total since joining from RB Leipzig. The game against Palace was his first start under United coach Michael Carrick, having scored from the bench in three of his previous four matches. 

The Slovenian had a slow start to his Old Trafford career, scoring just two goals in 10 Premier League starts under Ruben Amorim. He is now living up to his price tag and United's recruitment team are receiving praise for choosing to sign him and send Rasmus Hojlund out on loan to Napoli.

The Sun has revealed how United lured Sesko to Old Trafford over the summer and beat Newcastle to his signature. Head of recruitment Christopher Vivell, who used to work for Leipzig, and director of transfer negotiations Matt Hargreaves played a key role in the move. They reached out to Sesko's camp after United lost out to Chelsea in the race to sign Liam Delap, leaving them with a choice between the Slovenian and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.

According to the report in The Sun, part of Hargreaves and Vivell's pitch to Sesko's camp included making an AI-generated video showing United fans wearing his shirt and presenting them with a Red Devils' shirt. His agent Elvis Basanovic took the shirt to Sesko while he was doing pre-season training with Leipzig and the player put it on, looked at the United badge and told his representative: "Just make it happen."

According to The Sun, Sesko's performances have improved as a result of him settling into life in England and moving into a house in Cheshire with a private gym, sauna and football pitch. His new surroundings have helped him sharpen his fitness levels compared to his first few weeks with the club, when he was staying in the Lowry hotel in the centre of Manchester. His house is located near Manchester Airport but he has had double-glazing windows fitted to reduce noise levels and aid his sleep.

Sesko's prolific form after a slow start mirrors his record at his previous three clubs. He scored three times in his first six months at Austrian side Liefering, which is RB Salzburg's reserve side. He then struck 18 times in his last 14 games of the season. He had a disappointing first season with Salzburg and made a slow start in his second campaign with five goals before Christmas. He scored 11 times in his next 14 games. 

His first season at Leipzig followed a similar pattern, with Sesko scoring three times in his first 15 matches but responding by netting 11 times in his next 16. 

Only Brentford striker Igor Thiago has scored more Premier League goals in 2026 than Sesko. The Slovenian now has double the amount of league goals that Hojlund scored last season, with 10 games still left to play. The striker's latest goals - match winners against Fulham, Everton and Palace and an equaliser at West Ham - have been worth seven points to United, fuelling their surge into third place in the Premier League as they look to return to the Champions League.

"Benjamin is in a good place and he has had a major impact in recent weeks," Carrick said. "He's learning what it feels like to play here and to score the winner today is fantastic. [Starting him] is not a gamble. It wasn't that big of a decision. We are here to help and I'm sure that will continue. He is willing to do whatever that is." 

United visit Newcastle on Wednesday and then have 11 days before their next game at home to Aston Villa.