HE is the latest Bundesliga star to attract serious interest from the big boys of the Premier League.
Once upon a time it was Erling Haaland. Now, Red Bull Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is the name on everyone’s lips, a supreme talent that is on every transfer wish list back in England.
AFPSlovenia’s Benjamin Sesko was tipped to move to the Prem before the Euros[/caption]
GettyThe 21-year-old has already made a name for himself in the Bundesliga[/caption]
Arsenal and Chelsea – to name just a few – were hopeful of luring the 21-year-old to the bright lights of London this summer after netting 18 goals in all competitions last season, ready to trigger an appealing £55m release clause.
But it says a lot about this young player’s mindset and maturity that he recently decided to sign a new long-term deal with Leipzig instead.
There is a composure and an aura around the Slovenian which is hard to ignore. A self-confidence that his time in the Prem spotlight will come – just not yet.
Not that the spotlight has avoided his towering 6ft5 stature over in Germany during the Euros, showing glimpses of why he is such a wanted man.
As such, he is embracing Slovenia’s Group C showdown with England on Tuesday, a chance to pit himself against players he may well call teammates before too long.
Speaking to SunSport, he said: “To be honest, with the pressure, I put it on the bright side.
“It’s a good kind of pressure. If you have the opportunity where people can talk about you, doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, there’s something about you and it means I have done something good in the past and people are talking about it.
“I always put it on the bright side and I am happy to be a part of this.
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“It’s definitely a good chance for me to play in this type of tournament. I’m really proud of myself to be a part of the team and be here and for the experience and the self-growth.
“It’s really important for me and for my career in general. It’s been an amazing time and I’m looking forward to more of this.”
Slovenian journalists – who have covered Sesko’s journey ever since he took the plunge at the age of 15 to leave his home in a small village in Radece and join Red Bull Salzburg in 2019 before agreeing to join Leipzig last summer – are in awe of this kid.
They happily admit they have never seen or met anyone like him – a unique presence matched with an eye-catching ability.
Having scored 11 times in 31 caps, he is already tipped to be Slovenia’s greatest ever product, with many predicting he will soon eclipse Zlatko Zahovic’s national goalscoring record of 35 sooner rather than later.
Sesko holds the country’s footballing hopes on his enormous shoulders. He added: “It’s good that I can be that. We have to know that I am still young and there will be plenty more games, tournaments, so I am always going to be there for the team.
“Sometimes I am lucky, sometimes I am not. It is just about the position I am in at the moment. It’s my status. I always help my team as much as I can and do my best.”
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He is yet to find the net at his first major tournament, but came agonisingly close in Slovenia’s opening 1-1 draw with Denmark, smacking the post from range late on.
Two points from two games sees Slovenia needing an unlikely result against the Three Lions to stand any chance of reaching the last 16 in their first Euros campaign for 24 years.
Sesko’s impressive conviction shines through again when asked what he thinks of England’s stuttering start in the Euros and whether Slovenia could catch them cold.
He explained: “Yeah we definitely can. They know that we have played two great games.
“They’re not at their best. They are still doing great of course, but now is the best opportunity to play against them and show them the best we can do. I am sure we are going to shine.”
Sesko admits to watching clips of England skipper and Bayern Munich man Harry Kane on his journey to becoming a top European goal-getter – not that he believes they are one of the same, having already sized him up in the Bundesliga this term.
He said: “Every single season [Kane] scores plenty of goals and he is a great striker – a different type to me but still the position and what a striker needs.
“He is a great example to learn from. It’s amazing that I am going to play against him and try to copy him in a couple of positions.
“I watch him, I watch a lot of strikers and try to learn from them and hope to learn from him too.”