The summer transfer window starts on Sunday, and Arsenal are reportedly already discussing a deal to sign Benjamin Sesko.
Sesko, who turns 22 on Saturday, will reputedly leave RB Leipzig while the market is open after opting to stay at the Bundesliga club for another season 12 months ago. The striker signed a five-year contract last June, formalising that commitment, but the expectation is that a departure will now happen.
football.london understands that Sesko is on their shortlist of potential striker targets alongside Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. Below is a round-up of the latest news and rumours regarding the former:
'Concrete talks'
Fabrizio Romano claims Arsenal have started moving initial concrete talks for a deal to sign Sesko. The Gunners are described as "on it" amid an acknowledgement that the Slovenia international will leave Leipzig this summer after spending a second full season playing in Germany.
Mikel Arteta, alongside the club's management and recruitment team, are said to have always had him high on the list of centre-forwards they hold an interest in. They will hope it is third time lucky for them after the Bundesliga club rejected previous attempts to do a deal this time last year and again during January.
Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany has also said that the "deal is on", adding that Arteta "wants him". The journalist has previously claimed Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and Marcel Schaefer, his equivalent at Leipzig, are in contact, describing the talks as "concrete" and the pursuit "serious".
New asking price
Arsenal will reportedly have to pay £93million for Sesko, which equates to around €110million. They, though, are said not to be alone in their interest.
Premier League clubs are reputedly lining up to make offers as the player has other long-term admirers in England, including Manchester United. The Telegraph warns that, in all likelihood, negotiations to sign Sesko will not be simple because of their stated asking price.
Sky Sports have previously reported that the player's contract includes a release clause that clubs can activate this summer, the fee to trigger, which was said to be performance-related. Plettenberg of Sky in Germany has said the clause stands at €80million (£67million).