RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko is prepared to make a concession to join Arsenal in the summer transfer window, despite Chelsea also showing interest in the Slovenian.
London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are facing a potential showdown in the off-season as they strive to strengthen their attacks. Mikel Arteta feels the Gunners need a new centre-forward as Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah struggled this term. The Blues also long for a new No9.
Arteta has told Arsenal to sign a striker, like Sesko, as Jesus and Nketiah scored just four and five goals over their 27 Premier League appearances. Kai Havertz also finished the campaign as Arteta’s favoured No9, and offered eight goals and six assists in 12 of their final 16 games.
Benjamin Sesko is happy to secure a transfer to Arsenal without guaranteed minutes
Reports by the Mirror now name Sesko as Arsenal’s top striker target, too, after scouting the 21-year-old all season. The Mirror also reports that Chelsea and Manchester United like him. But Sesko favours a transfer to Arsenal and can also leave RB Leipzig for £45m this summer.
Now, Dean Jones also reports Sesko is on board with a transfer to Arsenal and understands what his situation at Emirates Stadium will look like. The Radece native is prepared to accept Arteta will not offer him any guarantees regarding his match time and he will have to earn it.
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Sesko is not unfamiliar with having to earn his place following a move having faced the same situation at RB Leipzig. He only switched to Saxony last summer in a delayed deal from sister Red Bull franchise club RB Salzburg. The sister clubs originally agreed on his switch in 2022.
Benjamin Sesko made 14 of his 17 Bundesliga 2023/24 starts in 2024 alone
RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose started Sesko 17 times across his 31 Bundesliga appearances in 2023/24. But the 28-cap Slovenia striker enjoyed 14 of those starts in 2024 alone, yielding 11 of Sesko’s 14 goals for the season. He even scored once in each of his final seven fixtures.
So, if Arteta is unwilling to promise Sesko he will start at Emirates Stadium, it should not be the decisive factor which swings the transfer tug-of-war in Chelsea or Manchester United’s favour against Arsenal’s. It would also show that Sesko is prepared to prove his worth in N5.