Arsenal in talks to sign £92.5m star as Mikel Arteta approves deal

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has approved the deal (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have held ‘concrete talks’ with RB Leipzig and Benjamin Sesko over a summer transfer move to the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta is desperate to sign an elite striker this summer and has approved Arsenal’s move for Sesko, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Sesko scored 21 goals for Leipzig last season, far less than fellow Arsenal targets Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen.

But Sesko, five years younger than the Sporting Lisbon and Napoli strikers, has more time on his side and Arsenal believe he can develop into a top Premier League star.

That does not mean Arsenal have pulled out of the race for Gyokeres, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.

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But it is claimed Arsenal’s focus right now is on Sesko, with the Gunners in talks with RB Leipzig and the player himself over a move to north London.

Arsenal expressed interest in Sesko last summer and again during the January transfer window at the start of the year.

Benjamin Sesko in action for RB Leipzig (Picture: Getty)

But the Gunners ended up without a striker signing in both of those windows, a decision that backfired as the season went on.

Sesko is believed to have an agreement with Leipzig that he will be sold this summer, but the Bundesliga club are reportedly holding out for a huge fee of £92.5m.

Arsenal will of course try to lower that number during transfer negotiations and are expected to push for a fee of between £60-70m.

But the Gunners will also not want to miss out on a deal, with Arteta, his backroom staff and those higher up at the club keen to see Sesko join the club.

Viktor Gyokeres has also been linked with the Gunners (Picture: Getty)

Sesko has enjoyed two productive seasons at RB Leipzig following a £20m move from Red Bull Salzburg in 2023. He has 16 goals in 41 caps for Slovenia and has been backed to become the country’s greatest ever player.

Gyokeres and Osimhen were far more prolific last season, with the former bagging 54 goals for Portuguese champions Sporting and the latter netting 36 goals for Turkish champions Galatasaray.

Sweden’s Gyokeres has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea as well as the Gunners, while Osimhen is expected to move to Saudi Arabia from parent club Napoli.

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Any interest Chelsea had in Gyokeres, Osimhen and Sesko is set to vanish as they have agreed a deal to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town.

Sesko discussed the speculation surrounding his future at RB Leipzig last week, telling reporters: ‘The club has given me a lot and continues to give me a lot every day. It’s a great club to develop at.’

He added that in the future he wants to ‘play for a club that suits me’ and ‘brings out the best in me’.

‘I’m currently a player for RB Leipzig, so I’m taking it day by day,’ he said. ‘If a transfer happens, and if it doesn’t, then it doesn’t.’

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