Arsenal take first step towards making £70million January transfer
Today at 11:01 AM
Arsenal have made a tentative enquiry for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, talkSPORT understands.
The north London club have reignited their interest in Sesko from last year, although a mid-season move is still complicated, with his club reluctant to sell at this point despite Leipzig having been knocked out of the Champions League.
To make matters more complicated, Sesko’s agent has made it clear that a loan move in January is not an option.
Sesko has remained one of Arsenal’s main targets as a striker option, given the ACL injury to Gabriel Jesus sustained earlier this month.
The Leipzig striker was sold on Arsenal’s project last summer but chose to extend at the German side as he felt staying was best for his short-term development.
The 21-year-old joined Leipzig from RB Salzburg in 2023, having spent two years on loan at FC Liefering – a reserve team for Salzburg.
Sesko, a Slovenia international, has scored eight goals and assisted two in the Bundesliga so far this season.
He has reached a total of 31 goals in 67 games for Leipzig and has won three Austrian Bundesliga titles, the Austrian Cup and DFL Supercup.
At individual level, he was named Slovenian Footballer of the Year in 2022, and has won the Slovenian Youth Footballer of the Year title three years in a row from 2021-2023.
Arsenal are looking at a number of striker options for the January or summer transfer window as they have continued to lack a strong no.9.
Jesus has had an injury-blighted time at Arsenal and despite finding form again recently, has been ruled out for the season with an ACL injury he picked up during their FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.
Star player Bukayo Saka is also out for a further few weeks with a hamstring injury that required surgery.
Their urgency for a striker also comes after recent performances in front of goal have highlighted the need for someone more prolific.
Ex-Arsenal player Perry Groves recently called on the club to sign a world-class striker, even if they have to ‘pay over the odds.’
The Gunners’ lack of ruthlessness in front of goal came back to bite last weekend as they blew a two-goal lead in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
Kai Havertz, who has not scored more than 13 goals in a league campaign since the 2018/19 season when he was at Bayer Leverkusen, has been tasked with shouldering the goalscoring burden for the Gunners.
In fact, no Arsenal player has scored more than 20 league goals in a season since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed it in 2019/20.
With the lack of a proper centre-forward, the Gunners are now tempted to make a splash to sign one in January, despite limited options.
Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, who is on loan at Galatasaray, has been another option in the mix for Arsenal, as is Newcastle’s in-form striker Alexander Isak, rated at £150million.
Arsenal will hope they can put their goalscoring woes behind them on Wednesday evening as they host Dinamo Zagreb in their penultimate league phase match of the Champions League, live on talkSPORT 2.
