Arsenal have made a major breakthrough in the Benjamin Sesko transfer saga and are better placed than ever to sign the RB Leipzig striker, FootballTransfers can exclusively reveal.
Sesko, 22, has been increasingly close to the Gunners in recent weeks but negotiations over a transfer fee had proven to be tricky.
Sources close to the deal have disclosed to FootballTransfers that there has been significant progress regarding the transfer fee and structure of the agreement between Arsenal and RB Leipzig. An official bid from Arsenal is, therefore, expected early next week.
Top officials from the Bundesliga side were in London again on Thursday for further talks on Sesko in what was their second visit to the UK capital in a matter of days.
While it isn’t clear the size of bid that Arsenal are prepared to make, what has been disclosed is that Mikel Arteta’s side are expected to be closer to €100 million than €80m with their offer. This is largely due to the payment being spread over a longer timeframe than RB Leipzig had initially wanted.
Personal terms with Sesko have not been finalised, but there are no major issues forecast with this issue. Despite this, his wages are still being discussed. The size of his salary is likely to be tied to Arsenal’s internal financial planning, particularly around upcoming contract extensions for current players.
It has been suggested that the Gunners may want to revisit Sesko’s wages in an upgraded contract in the medium term, potentially due to difficulties complying with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Viktor Gyokeres and Ollie Watkins of Sporting CP and Aston Villa, respectively, remain on the radar of Arsenal should any club come in with a stronger offer for Sesko.
As it stands, Arsenal are the only club in advanced talks with the Slovenia international, and the fact that RB Leipzig officials have been in London twice this week is thought to be telling that a deal is close.
