Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal’s pursuit of a new striker could take a significant step forward with the signing of Benjamin Šeško, a player whose outstanding injury record and consistent availability could solve one of Mikel Arteta’s biggest problems from the 2024/25 campaign.
The Gunners are in talks with RB Leipzig over a deal for the 21-year-old Slovenian international, with his €80 million (£66 million) release clause expected to be the key to unlocking a transfer. While other top targets such as Viktor Gyökeres remain under consideration, particularly due to sporting director Andrea Berta’s strategy of identifying multiple options, Šeško is emerging as a standout candidate not only for his talent but also his reliability.
Arsenal’s title challenge last season was severely hampered by a string of injuries to key attacking players. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Ødegaard, and Kai Havertz all missed at least a month of action, often simultaneously. The result was a worrying dip in attacking output, with Arsenal scoring just 69 Premier League goals, a steep drop from the 91 goals netted during the 2023/24 season.
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In one particularly tough stretch, three of Arsenal’s main attackers were sidelined at the same time, leaving summer signing Mikel Merino as the club’s leading scorer across four Premier League matches, in which the team managed just three goals.
Arsenal - Benjamin Šeško
Benjamin Šeško (Image credit: Getty Images)
Signing a dependable and fit striker could be crucial to Arteta’s rebuild, and that’s where Šeško truly shines. According to data fromTransfermarkt, Šeško has suffered only three injuries in his entire senior career, all of which occurred during his time at RB Salzburg. Since joining Leipzig, he has remained fully fit, missing no significant time due to injury.
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Over the past two seasons, Šeško has racked up 87 appearances and scored 39 goals across all competitions, an output that speaks to his physical durability and ability to perform consistently at a high level.
Arteta, who has publicly spoken about the importance of adding proven goal scorers to his squad, will likely value Šeško’s combination of fitness, form, and finishing.
“I want the best team, the best player. If we have three goal scorers over 25, bring them in and we’re going to be a much better team,” Arteta recently stated. On the difficulty of landing an elite striker, he admitted: “Probably they are [the hardest to sign] because there’s not that many that put those numbers up.”
Arsenal may not only be getting a prolific young forward in Šeško, but also a rare kind of striker who stays fit, stays ready, and delivers, exactly what the club needs to mount a stronger, more resilient title challenge next season.
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