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5 hours ago
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Arsenal have had a relatively quiet summer transfer window with no incoming as of now. They are working on a couple of deals which are close to wrapping up, but until and less it is announced, fans are holding their breath.
It could be a defining season for the Gunners and Mikel Arteta after finishing second in three consecutive Premier League campaigns. The last trophy that they had won was five years ago, and now, after so much investment, the team management need some sort of tangible success in the upcoming campaign.
Arsenal's primary target this summer continues to be a prolific striker who can help them in attack, an area where they struggled last season in comparison to their competition.
Therefore, Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta were showing interest in Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko. The Gunners have been chasing Sesko since last season, and they almost snapped the Slovenian until he decided to stay at Leipzig and signed a new contract.
However, the North Londoners have returned with their pursuit for the young marksman and this summer it looks like he is more inclined to leave after Leipzig failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing eighth in the 2024/25 Bundesliga points table.
In recent reports via Sport BILD, Arsenal have reached an agreement with the player, who is ready to move to North London. But now they will have to agree on a fee with Leipzig, who are willing to sell the 22-year-old for a bid in the region of €80-€100 million.
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Reportedly, the Gunners have signalled that they will make an offer in the range that will comply with Leipzig's expectations.
Where could Sesko end up this summer?
Sesko has gradually become a hot property in this transfer window as clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United have also monitored him. However, Arsenal have been leading the race for the Slovenian and now they are close to landing him.
But the fans will know that last summer they were in a similar situation and had almost secured his services until he decided to stay in the Bundesliga. So the celebrations need to wait for at least a few days.
Sesko rose through the ranks at RB Salzburg and joined sister club Leipzig in August 2022 for £20.5 million. His move to the Bundesliga was a decisive decision in his career as it helped him develop into one of the best young strikers in Europe.
He scored 21 goals last season in 45 appearances across all competitions. In 33 Bundesliga games, Sesko found the net 13 times. At 22, Sesko is still a work in progress, but his physicality, movement in the final third, and exceptional ball striking make him a player to watch out for.
Arsenal were also closely in pursuit of Gyokeres, who had rocked Europe after scoring 54 times in 52 matches for Sporting and guided them to the domestic double. However, looking at the reports, Gunners are focused on landing Sesko and have moved past the Swede.
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