Arsenal make the “new Haaland” their primary target

After a terribly disappointing season, Arsenal need a massive summer.

Fortunately, Mikel Arteta has made it pretty clear on multiple occasions now that the club are very much planning for one as they look to make the right additions to get them over the line in the Premier League next year.

For example, one of the most prominent links in recent days has been to Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo, who’d undoubtedly be the calibre of player to help take the Gunners to the next level.

However, that’s not all, as recent reports have now linked the club to another international who’d be a dream teammate for the Brazilian and has even won comparisons to Erling Haaland, of all people.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other needle-moving stars Arsenal have been linked with in recent weeks, like Nico Williams and Antoine Semenyo.

The former could cost the club around £50m due to a release clause in his contract, and as he’s managed to rack up a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 44 games this season, that feels like a more than fair price.

Likewise, Semenyo would cost the Gunners around £70m, and with a haul of 11 goals and seven assists in 41 games for Bournemouth, he’d undoubtedly be worth the money.

However, to really get the most out of Rodrygo next season, the North Londoners would probably be better off signing an exciting centre-forward, someone like Benjamin Sesko.

According to a recent report from an Arsenal insider, the club have maintained their intense interest in the RB Leipzig star ahead of the summer transfer window.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Slovenian international is now the North Londoners’ “first choice” for that striker position.

A price is not mentioned in the report, but stories from earlier this month claimed that due to the 21-year-old’s impressive performances this season, his release clause could now be at £75m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Sesko’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be an ideal teammate for Rodrygo and has been compared to Haaland.

Why Sesko would be perfect for Rodrygo

So, before getting to why Sekso would be an ideal teammate for Rodrygo, let’s examine this comparison to Haaland and where it has come from.

Well, in this instance, it stems from respected talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described the Slovenian international as the “new Erling Haaland” in May 2021, and based on what’s happened in the years since, it’s not hard to see why.

For example, like the Manchester City star, he moved from the domestic league in his own country to RB Salzburg, where he was good enough to earn a move to one of the Bundesliga clubs most known for developing youngsters.

On top of that, he is a physical beast, standing at 6 foot 5 and somehow still being relatively fast, and then there is his attacking ability, which is also what would make him a perfect teammate for Real Madrid’s Brazilian star.

For example, so far this season, the goalscoring “monster,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, has put the ball in the back of the net 21 times and provided six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or one every 120.66 minutes.

Moreover, according to Understat, his 13 Bundesliga goals have come from an expected goals figure of just 10.84 this season, and as he scored 14 league goals from an expected goals figure of 8.60 last season, it’s fair to say he’s clinical in front of goal.

So, just imagine someone of his stature and goalscoring ability alongside Rodrygo; the Brazilian would see his assist tally soar, while the Slovenian would surely hit that 20-goal-a-season mark.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to sign a new striker this summer, and, from age to ability and potential, Sesko looks to be the perfect candidate.