Sesko… The next Erling Haaland?
The creation of the Slovenian sensation
Though Erling Haaland just recently turned 22 years old, the footballing world seems to already have an appetite for another player just like him, with Benjamin Sesko already being dubbed ‘the next Erling Haaland’. This speaks volumes for the career and reputation the Norwegian international has forged for himself. The former Borussia Dortmund man has found the net at an incredible rate for every club he has represented so far and is likely to continue his upward trajectory at the home of the reigning Premier League champions City. In England, Haaland could soon be joined by his former teammate Sesko in the coming weeks amid strong interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. Six months prior to Haaland’s departure from Salzburg, the Austrian club bought the teenager from Slovenian side NK Domzale’s academy for a measly €2.50 million (R42 million). Unlike the Nordic forward, Sesko had to wait for his opportunity for first-team football at Salzburg. Once he arrived at the Red Bull Arena, the teenager was immediately sent out on loan for two years to the Austrian second division to FC Liefering. And it was at Liefering, like so many Salzburg-developed players before him, that he first caught the eye. After a debut season of integration, he exploded in 2020/21, scoring 21 goals in 29 games in a campaign that included a six-game run in which he scored 13 goals. Naturally, his parent club came calling and there the youngster was in the first team, but
The career of a professional footballer at the elite level is short-lived. Every season, the supposed next best thing is on the cusp of breaking through. Scouts sometimes hit the nail on the head in identifying talent, and, other times, young prospects fizzle out quickly despite showing early promise. This brings us to RB Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko, who is currently regarded by many as an exciting and next best youngster in Europe. The towering and technical once again, the forward had to be patient for first-team opportunities. It was another season of integration as Salzburg eased him into first-team football, executing the final part of their succession plan. The 6’4 ft striker largely played second fiddle to Karim Adeyemi and Brendan Aaronson - both of whom have now made moves to Borussia Dortmund and Leeds United respectively – as well as Noah Okafor. Sesko scored just five goals across 24 appearances, playing just under 1000 minutes in the league. D espite still being a teenager, he is now primed and ready to lead the line for the reigning Austrian Bundecould sliga champions, though that be a step he skips considering the interest from some top clubs in England.
Why is there so much interest in Sesko?
The first thing that stands out about Sesko is his remarkable height. At 6’4 ft (193.04 cm), the Slovenian international looks an imposing figure and uses his physical advantage to get the better of defenders. Like Haaland, the 19-year-old is deceptively quick, an attribute he makes the most of by forward has drawn early comparisons to Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, and not just because he is showcasing his undeniable ability in Austria. The Manchester United and Chelsea target’s skillset has garnered worldwide attention following his recent exploits, and now, Soccer Laduma international football writer Kamogelo Motecwane takes an in-depth look at one of football’s most sought-after commodities. driving past opponents or making well-timed runs in behind the defence. From what has so far been seen from the player, he prefers to receive the ball out wide, usually from the right-hand side of the pitch before making his way to goal. This could be because Salzburg play a 4-4-2 diamond formation and need more width in attack apart from their fullbacks or it may be because Sesko prefers to attack from wide positions. Either way, it’s something that appears to work for the forward. What also helps is that he is skillful and unusually so for a player of his build. His nimble footwork enables him to beat opposition players with relative ease, especially considering that it dovetails excellently with his blistering pace. He uses his dribbling ability to great effect and seems to do a fine job creating space for himself to cut in and either link with another attacker or get a shot away himself. At just 19 years old, the Radece native is not yet as clinical as he’d wish to be considering the excellent posigets tions he himself into. Against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly, however, he was the only goalscorer in the match that ended 1-0 to Salzburg after a brilliant bit of centre-forward play. Receiving the ball just inside Liverpool’s half, Sesko confidently went past Ibrahima Konate with a positive first touch before playing an intelligent one-two with Noah Okafor to leave some experienced defenders twisted. The teenager struck the ball first time after it was played back to him in the box before wheeling away in celebration. Though some have raised concerns about his goalsto-chances ratio, what’s important is that Sesko is often in the right place at the right time due to his almost elite level movement. Other areas of his game will improve, along with his conversion rate, but the early signs are promising ones.
Salzburg’s conveyor belt of talent
The Austrian giants have grown their reputation of being a club famed for its scouting. The likes of Haaland, Karim Adeyemi, Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Patson Daka, Dayot Upamecano, Takumi Minamino, Lee Chan Hwang, Enock Mwepu and Dominik Szoboszlai are among those to have been brought in by Salzburg over the years. Sesko follows a long line of astute talent to have showcased and matured their ability in central Europe, many of whom are currently playing in one of the continent’s five strongest leagues today. The young Slovenian will be hoping to be the next prospect to emerge from Salzburg with world-class potential, but that could depend on the decision he, along with his agents, will make in the coming weeks. While it is known that Die Roten Bullen are desperate to keep Sesko for at least another season, the allure of clubs such as United and Chelsea could be too strong to ignore, particularly if Salzburg get offered big money for his signature amid reports they have set an asking price of £55 million (R1.1 billion) for the player. The forward, however, will most likely spend the 2022/23 campaign leading the line in Austria as he builds off the progress he has made over the last year. For Haaland, what proved to be the best move was taking his career to the German Bundesliga for two-and-ahalf seasons before joining the Premier League. Sesko might be inspired to follow a similar path to the man many can’t help but compare him to, but time remains in this transfer window for his mind to be changed. ❐