The £55m Chelsea transfer that Arsenal could try to hijack after Nico Williams blowplaceholder image
The £55m Chelsea transfer that Arsenal could try to hijack after Nico Williams blow | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal were thought to be closing in on a new striker only to pull the plug at the 11th hour due to the transfer fee demands.
The 2025 summer transfer window has come something of a marathon not a sprint for Arsenal after the way that Liverpool sped out of the blocks when the starters gun first fired.
Closing the gap to the Premier League champions is the priority for Mikel Arteta and it is encouraging to see the Arsenal boss and the recruitment team target the type of player who will be needed to bring success to the Emirates.
Martin Zubimendi has been announced, a player who could prove to be a £51m bargain given his ability to link the defence, midfield and attack. What the Spaniard will also do is give Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard more freedom to dominate in the final third with comparisons to Xabi Alonso something worth getting excited about.
The headline making rumours are in the forward line though with reports linking Real Madrid’s Rodrygo an exciting prospect. If Arsenal are to catch Liverpool, they need to sign players who are better than what they have and who would, at least, start for Arne Slot’s team on a regular basis.
Why Arsenal have pulled out of signing Benjamin Sesko
What this does though is put to bed speculation surrounding RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko with Sky Sports Germany confirming why the Gunners pulled out of what looked like a sure thing: “After RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko was initially hotly tipped for the Gunners, the Slovenian's transfer to the Premier League now threatens to fall through.
“Leipzig is demanding up to €100 million (£86m) in transfer fees for the 22-year-old, which is one of the reasons why there have been no new talks with Arsenal recently.”
How much is Gyokeres going to cost Arsenal?
Gyokeres was said to have a release clause in his Sporting Lisbon contract in the region of £85m, however, Arsenal aren’t going to be paying anywhere near this, if reports are accurate.
The Sweden international was “furious” at his club going back on a gentleman’s agreement surrounding a £50m plus £10m in add-ons price tag only for the club to deny that such a deal existed.
A fee closer to £70m is now said to be what Arsenal are having to pay which is a much more realistic figure for a prolific striker in a second tier league.
Sesko might be five years younger, however, Gyokeres broke through relatively late in terms of elite level football and his body doesn’t quite have the miles on it that others who have been playing at the top since their teenage years will have.
Arsenal would also be getting Gyokeres as he hits his peak both physically and mentally. The 27-year old has proven that he can score goals at international level, in the Champions League and his record for Sporting against Benfica and Porto shows that he is one for the big occasion too.
What Gyokeres has that Sesko doesn’t, is a point to prove. Having failed to make the breakthrough for Brighton and the doubts about his ability to replicate his goal-scoring record in the Premier League, the Swede has the sort of motivation that money can’t buy.
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