Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta has now contacted another club’s director over signing an alternative to Sporting CP superstar Viktor Gyokeres, with “concrete talks” also ongoing for his signature
Over the last fortnight, a plethora of reports in the Portuguese media, and some closer to home, indicated that the Gunners were seriously advancing when it comes to Gyokeres’ signature
Portuguese newspaper O Jogo boldly claimed in its Monday headline that Gyokeres is “on his way to Arsenal”, even reporting that a £59 million fee was agreed, while fellow outlet A Bola reported news of a £135,000-per-week salary offer from Mikel Arteta’s side.
CaughtOffside shared similar information, namely that Arsenal had entered advanced talks to sign Gyokeres, but claimed the overall package on offer for the 26-year-old was actually closer to £10 million per year.
These differentiating claims all have one thing in common, which is that the ex-Coventry City star, who’s scored an incredible 53 goals in all competitions this season, appears to be on the verge of a north London move.
Berta is also said to be a major admirer of Gyokeres and has been pushing hard to secure the Scandinavian’s signature ahead of other interested clubs, according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.
However, that isn’t to say Berta doesn’t have a Plan B or alternative targets, amid some reports that Arteta actually prefers RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko over Gyokeres as a potential arrival.
Journalist Simon Phillips wrote last week via his Substack that Arteta still wants Sesko at Arsenal, one year after their offer to the Slovenian was publicly rejected in favour of a contract extension at Leipzig (Fabrizio Romano).
Now, according to a fresh update from Sky’s Plettenberg, it appears Berta is attempting to grant Arteta his wish, despite their recent talks over Gyokeres.
Taking to X, the reporter claimed on Friday that Arsenal are “in concrete talks” to sign Sesko from Leipzig, and Berta has contacted their director, Marcel Schafer, for negotiations over the Bundesliga striker, who’s scored 21 goals in all competitions.
Sesko’s £67 million release clause could prove tempting for Berta and Arteta, considering he’s improved on his goal tally from last season and boasts certain physical traits which could help him become a success in the Premier League.
One of them, as per former Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell, is Sesko’s revered speed.
Benjamin Šeško is among the game’s top young talents and has enormous potential to become a top player,” said Vivell.
“He has all the qualities to do that. He’s extremely quick, has a great jump on him and is strong in the air. Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who, despite his 1.95m (6’4″), is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile.”
Arsenal’s search for a new number nine appears to have taken a fresh turn, but they could do far worse than Sesko, who’s one of Germany’s most lethal marksmen.
