Arsenal are closing in on a move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, but will the Slovenia international hitman prove to be a Premier League hit or will he flop? FootballTransfers spoke to Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy for his opinion of the player.
Sesko, along with Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP, has been the leading target for Arsenal in the No.9 role during the transfer window.
Although negotiations have not continued at the pace that the Gunners might have wished, Mikel Arteta is ready to step up his push for a striker to ensure a deal is done by the time the team jets off on its pre-season tour on 19 July.
Sesko still appears to be the likeliest arrival, having dropped a hint that he will join Arsenal on Instagram.
Elvis Basanovic, the agent of the striker, claimed to Fabrizio Romano: “Sesko is not just a striker; he is a special striker. His numbers compared to some strikers with already great careers at his age are confirming my words. He will move from RB Leipzig only when we recognise a special club, a special project with a special coach.”
This all sounds very promising, but is it really the case and will Sesko thrive at Arsenal?
Can Sesko make the step up to the Premier League?
According to Murphy, Arteta is about to take a big risk – one that could either prove a roaring success or backfire spectacularly.
He told FootballTransfers: “Arsenal have been in the hunt for a striker for a long time, and the player they look likely to turn to is Benjamin Sesko. But what are they actually getting from the Slovenian?
“He has a massive ceiling with huge potential, but a low floor. He has been compared to a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic because he’s a quick, rangy striker, physically dominant, and very tall.
“The other obvious comparison that Arsenal fans might not appreciate is Timo Werner, the last big-name striker to leave RB Leipzig for the Bundesliga.
“Sesko scored 14 goals this season and 13 last season, equal to Werner’s worst season at Leipzig before he left for England. Around the same age, Werner was scoring twice as many goals and everyone knows how that turned out at Chelsea.
“Sesko is still very raw and has all the traits to be an elite forward, but are Arsenal signing the new Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Temu Werner?”
Arsenal are likely to pay something in the region of €70 million to sign Sesko, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €67m, suggesting that even if the player ends up flopping, they are not currently overpaying for the forward.
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