Arsenal appear to be currently pursuing deals for both RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.
Stan and Josh Kroenke held a meeting with Gyokeres’ agent on Wednesday to discuss a potential transfer to the Emirates.
Meanwhile, Arsenal remain in talks with Leipzig over a deal for Sesko, who is said to be hugely admired by Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta.
The Gunners have seemingly not yet decided which of the two number nines they want to bring to N5, although it’s possible Berta has made the decision and is merely waiting to try and secure Sesko at the lowest possible price.
Andrea Berta is using Viktor Gyokeres links to secure lower price for Benjamin Sesko
Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg is ‘totally convinced’ Sesko will sign for Arsenal, and a lot of the noise around the deal seems to suggest that the Slovenian is destined for the Emirates.
The Gunners have been monitoring the Leipzig forward for some time, and several reports have indicated that Arteta loves the player and is desperate to bring him to Islington.
However, Arsenal continue to be linked to Gyokeres, and the Swede is reportedly growing increasingly frustrated with Sporting over the situation unfolding around him.
Some rumours have circulated suggesting that the current stumbling block in the deal for Sesko is the asking price, with Arsenal not willing to meet the player’s £67 million release clause.
After missing out on Champions League football, Leipzig reportedly need to sell one of their prized assets, and are eager to do so sooner rather than later so that they can start rebuilding under a new head coach.
Berta will be well aware of that, and it’s possible that the Italian sporting director is weaponising Arsenal’s public interest in Gyokeres to bolster his negotiating power with Leipzig for Sesko.
The more the Gunners are linked with Gyokeres, the more likely Leipzig are to fold on their asking price for Sesko as the Bundesliga outfit become more desperate to sell the player.
Thus, it’s in Berta’s interest to push the Gyokeres links out into the ether as much as possible.
Arsene Wenger used this Andrea Berta approach back in 2005
Back in the summer of 2005, Arsene Wenger was looking to add a young winger to his ranks to compete with the likes of Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires, both of whom were entering the latter stages of their careers.
Manchester City’s Shaun Wright-Phillips and Southampton’s Theo Walcott were the two players mooted as Arsenal’s primary targets to fill this role in the Frenchman’s squad.
While the idea of bringing Ian Wright’s son to the Emirates was romantic, Walcott was seen as the brighter prospect and Arsenal were eager to land the Saints’ teenager.
The Gunners’ interest in Wright-Phillips was well-documented, but Wenger ultimately wanted to delay the transfer by six months, with a view to potentially landing Walcott instead, when the Southampton winger was expected to be available.
Chelsea ultimately swooped in and splashed a seismic £21 million on Wright-Phillips, which proved to be a significant overpayment.
Meanwhile, Arsenal secured Walcott in January 2006, and the Englishman went on to score over 100 goals for the North London club, enjoying a more fruitful career than Wright-Phillips.
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