Arsenal FC handed fresh Benjamin Sesko transfer warning amid talk of £60m agreement | The Standard
RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko was the talk of the town last summer as he was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal. He decided to prolong his stay with the Bundesliga side, however, and committed to a contract extension with a release clause in his deal amounting to £55 million with a supposed agreement to leave the club later this year.
Apart from the Gunners, who have closely monitoring his progress over the last several months, Chelsea and Manchester United also drew themselves into the picture with both their managers keen on adding a new number nine this year. Thanks to his 15 goals and four assists in the campaign, Sesko has emerged as a top target for both of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals too.
Caught Offside (h/t 90min) has reported on that note that the Slovenian international is still ‘favouring a move’ to Arsenal ahead of Chelsea or Man United with his representatives maintaining regular contact with the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s side has also received positive intimation from Sesko’s agents with a ‘significant’ bid on the cards for him, the source has added.
Arsenal to have significant advantage in Sesko pursuit
It comes as no surprise that Arsenal have been given the first priority by Benjamin Sesko over Chelsea and Manchester United considering they were one of the first teams to show a willingness in his signing last year as well. In spite of him staying at RB Leipzig for 2024/25, the relationship developed between the involved parties is likely to favour the Gunners this time out.
Moreover, Sesko will have the opportunity to play regular minutes at the Emirates Stadium while the same cannot be said about him at Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford, with both clubs already having decent strikers in their squads. Champions League football is also expected to be a decisive factor and at this stage, United are not in the picture to qualify for next year’s edition.
Arsenal will imminently make a bid for the player, though it will be interesting to see if they try and negotiate a lower sum with RB Leipzig or directly trigger his release clause to easily negotiate personal terms. Sesko will be a vital addition to the team for 2025/26 and is set to undoubtedly take the side’s level higher by a notch or two.