Arsenal look to be edging closer to confirming the arrival of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko after the summer transfer window reopened at the beginning of this week.
After falling short in the title race this season, the Gunners were keen to strengthen their strikeforce for the new campaign. Following injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal were left short in the frontline and had to settle for most of the second half of the campaign with false nines and makeshift strikers.
It looks like Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta have looked at this and are keen to correct the issue immediately. Football.london has taken a look at their plans to address their attack and their plans to sign Sesko, below.
Sesko deal reached
According to BILD, negotiations between RB Leipzig and Arsenal have reached a conclusion and a fee has been agreed. It is understood that the fee the Gunners are willing to pay for Sesko could be as much as £85.5m.
However, the exact figures are unknown and could be as little as £68.5m. It is expected the exact cost will become common knowledge later this week.
What happens next?
Now it will be a case of Arsenal and Sesko signing off on personal terms. This is expected to be straightforward considering the 22-year-old's desire to move to the Emirates Stadium.
From there, it will just be a waiting game ahead of the official announcement. Arsenal will likely announce the forward's arrival before their pre-season fixtures next month, which begin in Singapore against AC Milan on Wednesday, July 23.
Gyokeres plan
For much of the opening stages of the summer transfer window, it was expected that Arsenal would attempt to sign Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres. But this plan appears to have taken a back seat after reports last weekend in Portugal that the Gunners were unwilling to meet Sporting's valuation of the Swede.
With Gyokeres looking likely not to be a priority, it remains to be seen if Arsenal shall try to sign another centre-forward to add depth to that position. Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins has been named as an option that the Gunners could focus on.
Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!
By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.
To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!
If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.