MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United signed Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko on Saturday in an attempt to bounce back from its worst season in the Premier League era.
United paid Leipzig a fee that could reach 85 million euros ($99 million) for the 22-year-old Sesko, who signed a five-year contract.
Sesko is the third forward United has signed this offseason after a lack of goals last term saw the 20-time English champion record its lowest finish in the modern era when it placed 15th, just three places above the relegation zone.
His arrival follows the signings of forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo as coach Ruben Amorim has prioritized revamping his attack ahead of his first full season in charge.
“The history of Manchester United is obviously very special but what really excites me is the future,” Sesko said in the team’s announcement.
“When we discussed the project,” he added, “it was clear that everything is in place for this team to continue to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon.”
Strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee scored just 18 goals between them in all competitions last term as United fell to a club-record 18 losses in the Premier League era and its lowest points total of 42.
Only four teams scored fewer goals than United in the top flight last term — including the three relegated clubs.
Sesko has been compared to former Paris Saint-Germain and United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic because of his height — both are 1.95 meters (6 feet, 5 inches) tall — and flashes of technical skill. He has proved he is capable of scoring spectacular goals, but his statistics for Leipzig have been modest after two years in Germany.
He scored 14 goals in his first season with the club and followed that with 13 last term.
Sesko has six goals in 28 Champions League games for Leipzig and his previous club Salzburg. He's tallied 16 goals in 41 games for Slovenia.
“Benjamin possesses a rare combination of electrifying pace and the ability to physically dominate defenders, making him one of the most exceptional young talents in world football,” said Jason Wilcox, United's director of football.
“We have followed Benjamin’s career closely,” he added. “All of our data analysis and research concluded that he has the required qualities and personality to thrive at Manchester United.”
The move for Sesko comes after United's reported interest in Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres and Ollie Watkins.
Sesko is unproven in England, but Cunha and Mbeumo are tried and tested in the Premier League.
Mbeumo scored 20 league goals for Brentford last season, with only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland netting more. Cunha scored 17 in all competitions and helped Wolves avoid relegation last term.
James Ellingworth in Dusseldorf contributed.
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE -Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE -Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan has resigned after six seasons, opting to step aside rather than work with a new front office, the team announced Tuesday.
President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf made it clear after firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley near the end of the season that he wanted Donovan to remain on the job. He said anyone who wanted to bring in a new coach was “probably not the right candidate for us.”
Now, it looks like whoever the Bulls hire to run their organization will get that opportunity.
“While we clearly wanted Billy to return as our head coach, we had open dialogue about the importance of respecting the process of bringing in new basketball operations leadership," Reinsdorf said in a news release. “Together, we mutually agreed that giving that person the freedom to shape the organization was the best approach for everyone involved.”
The 60-year-old Donovan consistently has said he still has a passion for coaching. The decision to leave the Bulls was made “after a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization,” Donovan said in the team release announcing the move.
“I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit,” he said.
Donovan was arguably the top candidate on the market when the Bulls hired him in September 2020, a few months after Karnisovas and Eversley got their jobs.
Chicago’s lone playoff appearance since all three were hired came during the 2021-22 season, when it finished sixth in the Eastern Conference at 46-36 and got knocked out by Milwaukee in the first round. The Bulls lost in the play-in tournament the next three years.
Donovan got a contract extension last offseason. Reinsdorf said after firing Karnisovas and Eversley that the problem was the roster construction — not the coach.
Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Michael's father, praised Donovan for the “class and genuine care” that he brought to the organization.
“We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach — that was never in question,” Jerry Reinsdorf said. “But through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new head of basketball operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of this franchise. That is the kind of person Billy is — he put the Bulls first.”
Karnisovas’ inability to land a franchise cornerstone player and refusal to give the Bulls a better shot at the No. 1 pick by rebuilding were glaring. He finally changed course before this year’s trade deadline, dealing Nikola Vucevic to Boston, Kevin Huerter to Detroit, Coby White to Charlotte and Chicago product Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota. The Bulls loaded up on second-round draft picks and did not get any first-rounders in return.
One of the players Chicago got in return was Jaden Ivey from Detroit. Chicago waived him following anti-LGBTQ+ comments about religion he made in videos posted on his Instagram account.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Chicago Bulls' Collin Sexton talks with Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan during a time out in an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Albert Pena)
Chicago Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan gives directions during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Chicago, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, left, talks with guard Mac McClung (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Chicago, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan shouts instructions during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
