Arsenal appear to be stepping up their pursuit of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško, with fresh reports from Germany suggesting the 21-year-old will be left out of the Bundesliga side’s pre-season tour. According to BILD, this decision has been influenced by growing transfer interest from the Premier League, with Arsenal positioning themselves at the front of the queue.
Šeško has been a long-term target for the Gunners, who are expected to invest in a new striker this summer after a Premier League campaign that saw no player score more than 10 goals. Andrea Berta, who has recently taken over as Arsenal’s sporting director, is believed to be driving the push for Šeško as part of a wider squad evolution aimed at addressing key attacking shortcomings.
RB Leipzig, for their part, are bracing for formal negotiations. The German side reportedly value Šeško at around £84 million, but are expected to begin talks at a lower threshold of £59 million — a fee that could open the door for Arsenal to structure a deal with performance-based add-ons or favourable payment terms. With Leipzig’s preparations for next season now underway, their willingness to exclude Šeško from their pre-season tour is seen as a signal that a sale is increasingly likely.
Šeško, who scored 13 goals in the Bundesliga this season, has the profile Arsenal are searching for: tall, powerful, mobile, and with plenty of room for growth. Despite his age, he already boasts experience at the top level with both Leipzig and his former club Red Bull Salzburg, as well as on the international stage with Slovenia.
Andrea Berta, known for his strategic planning and ability to secure high-level deals during his time at Atlético Madrid, is thought to view Šeško as an ideal long-term solution at centre-forward. Arsenal’s interest in Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyökeres remains alive, but recent indicators suggest Šeško has now jumped to the top of the club’s shortlist.
The timing may also work in Arsenal’s favour. With the 2024/25 Premier League season concluded and no major international tournament this summer, deals can be pushed through without the usual scheduling complications. While other top clubs are monitoring the situation, Arsenal are understood to have made the most concrete progress — and Berta’s direct style of operation is already beginning to show results.
As things stand, the Gunners are preparing to accelerate their transfer business in the coming weeks, and Šeško could be the marquee arrival in what is expected to be a transformative summer window. His exclusion from Leipzig’s upcoming tour could well be the clearest hint yet that his next destination is the Emirates Stadium.
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