Benjamin Šeško has emerged as one of the most talked-about young attackers in European football. The Slovenian’s performances have led to transfer links with Champions League contenders, not least Arsenal. All by the age of 22, with the promise of years of top-level football ahead of him.
Born in 2003, Šeško moved from Slovenia to Austria at the age of 16 to sign for Red Bull Salzburg. He was then immediately loaned to their second-division feeder club, FC Liefering, where he scored 21 goals in his second season. His return to Salzburg yielded a league-and-cup double in 2021/22, and another league title in 2022/23. It also led to a move to RB Leipzig in Germany, where he scored 39 goals in 87 games in his first two seasons. Along the way he has also netted 16 goals in his first 41 appearances for Slovenia, five of which helped his country to qualify for Euro 2024.
Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed this exciting striker’s game…
Technical analysis
Benjamin Šeško is a right-footed centre-forward with a very powerful strike. Even with little backlift – and looking like he is off balance – he is able to produce powerful attempts at goal. He appears to prefer finishing with power, but his lower-limb strength means that even when it looks like he’s not applied much effort, his strikes are still powerful.
He has also developed his penalty-area instincts, improving his anticipation of potential goalscoring opportunities. That means he is able to adjust when a poor ball is played into him, if it has taken a deflection, or if he has a poor first touch himself. He simply adjusts and settles the ball in order to get a shot off. Even if it is not a particularly clean strike, his appetite to score is evident.
His hunger for goals is probably most evident on counter-attacks. He may be out of range or position, depending on the previous phase of play, but he will do what he can to get into a scoring position – whether inside the box, or for one of his powerful long-range efforts (below).
At 6ft 4ins, he offers an obvious aerial threat. He can run across his marker, but also move away to dominate the spaces behind. Indeed, his double movements when tightly marked are useful for manipulating his marker, freeing up space from which he wants to finish. Once he opens up he has impressive pace, using double movements to receive in behind, as well as dropping deeper. He can move away from the ball first, then show to feet (below), or vice versa. When moving towards the ball as his second movement, he uses his size and physicality to pin opponents. But if the ball is not released by a teammate, and his direct opponent has committed to following his dropping movement, he can spin away to receive on the move. He does this centrally as well as in wide areas.
Compared to other centre-forwards, Šeško has surprising agility on the ball, and is comfortable taking on opponents. He usually does this in preparation for a shot, but can also beat an opponent to then release and link with teammates. This is typically when he is between the lines – especially after a double movement that ends with him dropping away from the opposing back line to receive. When an opponent jumps out, he can twist and work the ball away from that pressure, pushing beyond to progress the play. Rather than carrying the ball much further, though, he often looks to release. Or, even if relatively far from goal, he may still shoot.
Out of possession
Without the ball, Šeško commits to immediate counter-pressing, and is very aggressive in close spaces, especially if he has been dispossessed. He works to help others, pressing back towards his own goal in support of midfield teammates. Sometimes, however, he can be too aggressive. He needs to be mindful of how opponents may try to buy cheap fouls when he is counter-pressing.
When pressing or defending for longer periods, he can force the ball into traps. He curves his approach to the ball, cutting passing options where possible. More importantly, he looks to force the opposing ball-carrier into one of his oncoming teammates. This limits forward progress, but also increases the chances of his team winning the ball back. If the ball is played forward, Šeško will often press backwards to disrupt the forward pass as much as possible (below).
Against more direct play, he can drop much deeper than the front line, acting as the first aerial presence in the midfield unit. This can make him a valuable addition for first contacts, limiting direct balls targeting that space, or for balls underhit by the opposition.
Centre-forward
During Šeško’s time at the club, RB Leipzig have occasionally played with a back three, which has meant he has operated in a narrow front three. But mostly he has played as one of a centre-forward pair, working alongside either Loïs Openda or Youssuf Poulsen. Primarily playing within an initial 4-4-2, the movement of Šeško and his partner has often been complimentary. If one has widened, the other remained central. When one dropped short, the other penetrated. If one stretched the last line during wide play, the other held back for cutbacks. Šeško has enough variety in his game to adapt to each scenario, as well as possessing the quality to impact the opponents’ goal.
From this 4-4-2, RB’s wide players – whether Xavi Simons, Dani Olmo, Christoph Baumgartner or Emil Forsberg – have tended to significantly narrow when attacking. As such, the 4-4-2 has converted into a 4-2-2-2 – or simply a less defined structure with lots of rotating attackers in the central spaces, and the full-backs providing width.
Here, Šeško has combined well with the penetrative and fluid movements around him, creating and scoring off combinations with the particularly complimentary Simons and Olmo. His dropping away from the back line has supported the two attacking midfielders, but also created space for them to move in behind if needed. Quick combinations using Šeško’s dropping has allowed the deeper midfielders to indirectly find Olmo or Simons in promising positions (below). From there, Šeško would often attack the goal, ready for the next phase, or create space and chances for his centre-forward teammate – Openda or Poulsen – to finish.
When Šeško led the line for Red Bull Salzburg, he also operated in a centre-forward pair, albeit ahead of a diamond midfield. This meant more space existed either side of the single number 10 in the 4-4-2, in comparison to Leipzig’s much busier central shape. As a result, Šeško offered very similar combinations and threats in Austria, but with more opportunities to link up. This was especially the case when moving towards the ball and away from goal.
At Red Bull Salzburg, Šeško was partnered by either Sékou Koïta or Junior Adamu. As with his time in Germany, he connected well with central teammates to create and score. He also had more scope to drift to the side and attack from the inside channel, or move well into the wide areas (below) – especially if the distance was too big for the full-back to make up. Šeško favoured the left inside channel, but varied his movements to allow him to eventually end up back in central goalscoring positions.
His attacking play and goals have graced Austria, Germany, the Champions League and international football in recent seasons. Certainly, RB Leipzig fans will be hoping he continues to star in their colours. Slovenia, meanwhile, will likely need him firing if they are to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
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