DEAL HIJACKED: Arsenal hijacked Chelsea and Manchester United’s transfer as superstar agrees personal terms to join the Gunners
Arsenal are reportedly planning to step up their efforts to sign RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, as per Caught Offside.
Following Gabriel Jesus’ season-ending knee injury, the Gunners have prioritised signing a new striker in this window to continue fighting for the title until the end of this term.
After being linked with numerous names, Mikel Arteta’s side identified Aston Villa ace Ollie Watkins as a serious target and submitted a formal £60m bid to secure his service. However, the Villans have no intention of letting their star man leave in mid-season so they have rejected the proposal.
Now, Caught Offside claim that having failed to hire the 29-year-old, Arsenal have shifted their focus to alternative options and are now planning to push to sign Sesko.
The Slovenian is the ‘priority’ target of Arteta but Leipzig don’t want to sell him in January. However, the German side’s elimination from the Champions League could facilitate a move away from the Red Bull Arena before the deadline.
Sesko to Arsenal
Moreover, apart from Sesko, Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus is also on Arsenal’s wish-list and they could look to secure his service if they fail to purchase the Leipzig star with the Bianconeri ready to let him leave.
The player is valued at around £42m by Transfermarkt and has a contract until 2029 with Leipzig having signed an extension last summer. Therefore, Arsenal will have to offer a lucrative proposal to persuade the Bundesliga side to cash-in on their star man late in this window.
The forward has had a productive first half of this season for Leipzig, scoring 14 goals and registering three assists in all competitions.
Sesko is still just 21 and has showcased glimpses of his qualities in the German top-flight in recent times. He is a talented player and possesses the potential to become a world-class forward in future.
Therefore, he would be a great coup for Arsenal if they purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually manage to secure his service before next week’s deadline.
Meanwhile, following a comfortable 2-1 victory over Girona in the Champions League, Arsenal have booked their place in the pre-quarter-final stage of this competition.
