There was a time this season when Sunday’s build-up felt simple. Benjamin Sesko was meant to be Arsenal’s striker. Viktor Gyokeres was the other option. Instead, Gyokeres is at Arsenal and Sesko is still trying to settle somewhere else. Now there’s a new twist. Neither of them might even start this weekend. Not because they’ve become bad players overnight. Because goals have been harder to find than the fees suggested.
THE STRIKER SUMMER DID NOT PLAY OUT AS EXPECTED
The summer window turned into a hunt for No 9s again. Clubs wanted finishers. Everyone talked about “the missing piece”. Prices climbed with every link. But the season has exposed something uncomfortable. Most of the big striker signings have struggled to hit top gear quickly. Not just Sesko and Gyokeres. Several others too. Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike is the only one widely seen as an immediate success so far, with eight goals.
WHY THE GOALS ARE NOT COMING
It is easy to reduce it to “they’re not clinical.” Sometimes it’s not that.
Delap has had injuries. Isak has had injuries too, and those break rhythm quickly. Sesko is 22 and adapting to a new environment at a messy time. Gyokeres has stepped up from a league where space arrives differently and defending is not the same pressure.
The bigger issue is that modern strikers are being asked to do two jobs at once. Score goals and press like midfielders. Hold the ball up and run in behind. And do it against defenders who are stronger, faster, and coached to squeeze every inch. The role has changed. The expectation hasn’t.
GYOKERES AT ARSENAL HAS BECOME A DEBATE
Gyokeres scored a superb goal against Inter Milan, and the timing mattered. Gabriel Jesus scoring twice shortly after only added fuel to the argument about who should start as Arteta’s number nine. Arsenal didn’t sign Gyokeres to be the only solution. He was brought in to add depth and another angle.
Arteta likes his work-rate. But there have been frustrations too. The ball not always sticking. Moments where he wants an extra touch. Moments where he doesn’t gamble in the box. That can be a confidence thing. And confidence is fragile for strikers.
SESKO IS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS
Sesko’s case is slightly different. He’s younger. The ceiling is higher. He can grow into it. But he has still struggled for consistency. Premier League defending squeezes timing. You don’t get second chances. You don’t get space to set yourself.
That is why the talk around him hasn’t vanished. People still see the movement and physical tools. But potential doesn’t win points in January.
Gyokeres is good but he's 27, Meaning we might need to spend €80m on another striker in 3 years🤷🏽♂️
Sesko is 22, 6ft5, Rapid & 2 Footed. Andrea Berta might be COOKING😋 pic.twitter.com/Yhbruwcrfl
— UpYourArsenal🔴⚪🔴⚪♥️ (@UPYOURARSENAL04) June 26, 2025
WHY PRICES HAVE OUTRUN REALITY
The striker market inflated because demand stacked up at once. United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle were all looking for similar profiles. That pushes fees up, even when the player is not a guaranteed hit.
Clubs felt they had to move. Avoid being left behind. That urgency adds a premium. Then the moment you spend big money, patience shrinks.
PRESSING HAS CHANGED WHAT A “NO 9” EVEN MEANS
Coaches want strikers who defend from the front. Press triggers. Block lanes. Start counter-presses. It matters, but it also takes energy away from the one thing fans expect.
Haaland is the exception because City can still feed him. Most strikers aren’t in that position.
AUTHOR’S INSIGHT
This feels like the market catching up with itself. Clubs paid like they were buying guarantees, but they mostly bought adaptation projects. Gyokeres and Sesko are good forwards. They’re just not cheat codes. If neither starts this weekend, it won’t be a shock. It’ll be a reminder of how quickly “£60m striker” turns into “needs time” once the goals dry up.
As featured on ManUNews.com
As featured on GoonerNews.com