Benjamin Sesko has emerged as a top target for Arsenal.Benjamin Sesko has emerged as a top target for Arsenal.
Benjamin Sesko has emerged as a top target for Arsenal. | Getty Images
Manchester United may have had hopes of signing Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres boosted by Arsenal.
Arsenal appointed Andrea Berta as sporting director this year and tasked him with adding the missing ingredients to Mikel Arteta’s squad in north London.
A new centre-back and central midfielder are important missions to complete but, more than anything else, the former Atletico Madrid chief has to find a new source of goals. The Gunners have struggled without the injured Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus over the run in but questions over that duo’s ability to lead the line pre-existed those fitness headaches.
A talisman is truly the missing puzzle piece in Arteta’s side. David Raya is one of the best goalkeepers in the league, the William Saliba and Gabriel partnership strikes fear into attackers and Myles Lewis-Skelly can become a world beater. Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard’s vision is second-to-none and little needs to be said about Bukayo Saka’s potency on the wing.
Andrea Berta could win Premier League with Benjamin Sesko coup
Right up to the striking role, it’s a team capable of winning the Premier League. Arsenal scored 17 fewer goals the Champions Liverpool this season and were unable to find a winner in a huge 14 draws. On paper, the equation is simple - add a proven goalscorer and win the Premier League.
Arsenal now look close to be doing that as transfer talk over negotiations with Benjamin Sesko pick up. The 21-year-old scored 21 goals for RB Leipzig last season and is only going to get better. He would come with 28 appearances worth of Champions League experience and knows what it takes to win - picking up three league titles with Red Bull Salzburg, a DFL Supercup with Leipzig and three back-to-back Slovenian Youth Footballer of the Year awards from 2021 to 2023.
Sesko is consistent too. The striker never went more than four league matches this term without scoring - Jurgen Klopp himself has praised the player’s ‘incredible skillset’ and ‘incredible mentality’. It looks to be a major coup for Berta.
While the thought of Sesko arriving in the Premier League will strike fear into rivals’ defences, it could also be a piece of good news for Manchester United. If the RB Leipzig man comes to the Emirates Stadium for a touted £93 million, Arsenal will surely not spend £60 million on Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.
The former Coventry City man has also been linked with Manchester United and is surely destined to come to the Premier League. The 26-year-old plundered 39 goals in 33 league outings in Portugal and has clearly outgrown the division. Having played in the Championship, the striker will be determined to prove himself in the top flight.
Arsenal may have helped Manchester United ‘dream’ transfer
Given their title ambitions and Champions League position, Arsenal would have presented a more attractive option to Gyokeres but the Gunners potentially being out the race is a boost to Red Devils hopes. Writing in his GiveMeSport newsletter on Friday, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano labelled the talisman as a ‘dream’ striker for Amorim.
He wrote: “There are several candidates, but Manchester United will make a decision on their priority target soon. The dream has always been Viktor Gyokeres, but it will be difficult without Champions League qualification.”
There's a famous alchemy between Gyokeres and Amorim, with the striker excelling under the manager in Portugal. Gyokeres signed for Sporting from Coventry City in July 2023 and the player's agent Hasan Cetinkaya has been outspoken in the fact that Amorim was the reason that deal happened. He told Portuguese outlet Record: "Everyone was waiting for Viktor to sign with a Premier League club.
“I brought Viktor to Sporting for just one reason, and this is also something I said to Mr Amorim when I saw him for the first time. I said it before I even said hello to him: 'I only brought my player here because of you'. Therefore, I only brought Gyokeres to Sporting because of Ruben Amorim.
"There were eight Premier League clubs who made concrete proposals to Coventry and me, which guaranteed more money, more commissions and a higher transfer value than Sporting. I said no to everyone and told Viktor that Sporting was our next destination."
In other news, Arsenal show 'interest' in bargain attacker and line up relegated Martin Odegaard back-up.
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