Arsenal were heavily linked with a move to sign Benjamin Sesko before he ended up at Manchester United.
The Slovenia international had been on the Gunners’ radar for over a year, and Edu Gaspar even tried to sign him in the summer of 2024.
Sesko snubbed Arsenal then, but the North Londoners tried to get him again earlier in the summer after Andrea Berta became their sporting director.
However, the Italian chose Viktor Gyokeres instead.
Benjamin Sesko is viewed as an elite talent in world football.
The 22-year-old wasn’t hugely prolific during his time at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, but he showed incredible potential.
That made Arsenal want to sign Sesko ahead of Gyokeres at one point, but the Gunners ended up abandoning their pursuit of the Slovene in July.
That decision was made by Berta.
The Daily Mail claim that the new Arsenal sporting director is ‘known for making emotionless decisions’, and the signing of Gyokeres was a case in point.
Sesko was the younger option, arguably had the higher ceiling and would offer more longevity compared to Gyokeres, but RB Leipzig’s valuation made Arsenal’s mind up.
The report claims that Berta viewed the £73.7 million fee demanded by RB Leipzig as ‘too much of a risk given his lack of experience’.
Arsenal felt that Gyokeres, who was signed for an initial £55 million plus £8.7 million in add-ons (Sky Sports), was the more value-for-money option.
It’s still early days and definitely not the right time to judge, but Arsenal fans should be happy that their side signed Gyokeres over Sesko.
The Swede scored a lovely header in pre-season against Athletic Club, and even though his Premier League debut against Manchester United wasn’t his best, he followed it up with two goals against Leeds United.
Sesko, on the other hand, has made three appearances for Manchester United – two of them as a substitute – and he is yet to find the net.
Things may well be different in a year’s time, but as things stand, Arsenal seem to have made the better signing.
