Newcastle United will have to a pay a club record transfer fee of around £67m to sign Benjamin Sesko in the summer window - if they decide to firm up their interest in the striker.

The Magpies held talks with Sesko's representatives in 2023 before he moved from RB Salzburg to Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, and continue to hold an interest in the 21-year-old. However, Sesko's form in Germany has meant he is now on the radar of several big European clubs, with Arsenal said to be keen to strike a deal this month.

The player looks set to stay at Leipzig for the time being, but a summer move could be on the cards. Now reports in Germany have confirmed that Sesko has an €80m release clause in his contract - around £67m - which looks likely to activated at the end of the season.

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The issue would be which clubs could afford such a fee given strict FFP and PSR regulations. Newcastle could well keep their powder dry in the January window and look to invest in the summer, with their forward line an area which needs strengthening. They are currently watching Lille striker Jonathan David, who will be available on a free transfer when his contract comes to an end in the summer, as they look for striker options.

Callum Wilson's gametime has been severely limited due to injury in the past 12 months, and the former England striker sees his contract expire at the end of June. United have Will Osula as back-up to Alexander Isak, but the Norwegian Under-21 international is seen as a player for the future.

Arsenal are desperate for goalscoring options and could make a big play for Sesko in the summer after his agent indicated he would not be open to a mid-season deal. His representative Elvis Basanovic said of Sesko's future: "Benjamin Sesko is really shining, I think this is a phase of development. I think we have already shown in the past that we are sticking to the development path, that we are not looking at current form. Our decision regarding the next step, the transfer, has never and will not stem from current form, but from who can offer Sesko the best platform for his development.

"We can see that our decision was correct, six months later he is already a better striker than he was last season. What he lacks is experience. We must not forget that he is only 21 years old, so we did not want him to go to the Premier League in the summer. There were concrete options, but we consciously decided to stay in the Bundesliga to give him time to progress and develop into a better striker."

Sesko has 13 goals in 25 appearances for Leipzig this season, with three Champions League goals, including a brace against Juventus. He has scored in his last five consecutive Bundesliga games, with Leipzig currently fifth in the table.