Benjamin Sesko fits Newcastle United bill after Eddie…

Benjamin Sesko fits Newcastle United bill after Eddie Howe transfer 'change'

Newcastle United fans were sent into meltdown on Wednesday when the agent of Red Bull Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko posted an Instagram story while enjoying a meal on the Quayside. Social media was ablaze with supporters suddenly speculating as to whether the agent, Elvis Basanovic, was on Tyneside to offer his client to the Magpies.

Sesko, 19, is destined for a huge career and is already being dubbed the 'Mini-Haaland' for his Salzburg exploits to date. The striker enjoyed an impressive season in Austria last term and is expected to replace Karim Adeyemi as the club's top forward this season.

The player certainly fits the bill when it comes to what Eddie Howe is looking for after 20-year-old Hugo Ekitike snubbed an offer from Newcastle to join PSG earlier this month. The Magpies boss is keen to add firepower to his ranks this summer and recently admitted he has changed his stance on bringing in young talent from further afield this window.

“Yeah, definitely,” said Howe when asked whether younger players could be signed this summer. “I think January, in a specific window, we felt we needed Premier League experience, Premier League-ready, and we couldn’t take chances on younger players with different levels and who would take time to adapt to the team. We were after a very specific player in January. I think that changes now.

“We need to look at the age of the squad, it goes without saying that every year the squad gets a year older. Before you know it, if you’re not careful you can become imbalanced, and that’s something we need to consider and think about going forward.”

Howe wished Ekitike well when quizzed over the Frenchman's PSG move last week but the Toon boss is desperate to strengthen in the forward department before the opening game of the season with Nottingham Forest.

As for Sesko, Salzburg have big plans for the teenager and are expected to fight off any bids that may come their way in the coming months. Tottenham, AC Milan and Bayern Munich are just three of the teams previously linked with the striker as club director Christoph Freund played down talk of an exit earlier this summer.

"I'm delighted that we'll be working together for another season with our talents, who showed their best last season," he said in May. Sesko hit 10 goals in all competitions last season and found the net on Tuesday during a pre-season friendly with Ajax.

Benjamin Sesko fits Newcastle United bill after Eddie Howe transfer 'change'

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