Benjamin Sesko appears set to remain in the Bundesliga after Arsenal pursued an alternative target.
The Premier League giants have reportedly opted to throw their hat into the ring for Manchester United-linked Viktor Gyokeres.
If reports coming out of Portugal are to be believed, the Gunners are closing in on a deal for the Sweden international. Record (via the Mirror) claim that only a nominal fee separates Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal from a deal with Sporting Lisbon for the high-scoring striker.
Benjamin Sesko isn’t destined for Premier League transfer
As things stand, it would appear likely that Sesko will not be moving to the Premier League this summer.
Multiple CaughtOffside sources close to negotiations have confirmed that RB Leipzig’s demands (€90m [£77.5m]) were simply too much for Arsenal to commit to.
This has since been corroborated by our in-house Bundesliga expert, Christian Falk, in an exclusive update.
“Benjamin Šeško was Mikel Arteta’s first-choice option to reinforce the striker position,” the head of football at BILD wrote in his Fact Files column.
“However, Edu Gaspar, Arsenal’s former sporting director, was more focused on Viktor Gyökeres because the Sporting Lisbon star is a cheaper option.
“Now, at the moment, Šeško is too expensive for Arsenal and Manchester United. So, it seems he’s going to stay put for another season, unless a potential suitor is prepared to come in and pay €90m [£77.5m].
“It could still happen, but as we’re seeing with Arsenal, not every club is willing to pay this amount.”
That’s despite hopeful reports to the contrary on Arsenal’s allegedly ongoing pursuit of Sesko coming out of Germany.
How does Gyokeres compare to Sesko?
As far as raw output is concerned, Gyokeres smashed Sesko out of the park in the 2024/25 campaign.
The former registered 67 goal contributions in 52 games (across all competitions) to the Slovenian’s 27 in 45 games.
| Players | Goals | Assists | Minutes per goal contribution |
| Benjamin Sesko | 21 | 6 | 120.6 |
| Viktor Gyokeres | 54 | 13 | 63.4 |
* Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko stats in all competitions from the 2024/25 season, via Transfermarkt
To put that into context, the Sporting CP star was scoring or assisting at almost double the rate of his Leipzig counterpart. Albeit, one should emphasise, in a comparatively less challenging league.
Likewise, any deeper dive into the pair’s comparative stats should also be caveated by this same reality.
| Players | Non-penalty xG | xAG | Shot-creating actions | Touches in opposing penalty box |
| Benjamin Sesko | 0.35 | 0.07 | 1.8 | 3.51 |
| Viktor Gyokeres | 0.69 | 0.23 | 4.94 | 9.12 |
* Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko stats (from last 365 days) per 90, via FBref
That said, even accounting for a likely drop-off should Arsenal complete their move for Viktor Gyokeres, it’s difficult to imagine the Swede being an ineffective signing in England.
How does Sesko feel about missing out on Arsenal transfer?
It’s a potentially disappointing piece of Arsenal transfer news for the Emirates Stadium faithful.
Perhaps one serious point of reassurance, however, is the fact that the London-based outfit remains a viable option for him in the future.
That’s not to suggest Sesko is particularly disappointed with this outcome. After all, he’s hardly poorly compensated at RB Leipzig after agreeing to improved terms.
“He would be prepared to stay as well. I don’t think he’s overly disappointed with the outcome, as it stands. He’s already been given a new contract at Leipzig with a higher salary,” Falk added.
“So, Benjamin Šeško is fine with the idea of staying, as he knows a transfer out of the club will eventually arrive.
“It’s also important to the centre-forward that when a bid comes, it’s from the right club. Arsenal would be a fine option for him, but if they’re pushing for another player, the 22-year-old is prepared to wait.”
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