Forget Benjamin Sesko, Mikel Arteta must sign another ‘phenomenal’ Bundesliga star to fix Arsenal’s striker issues

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal are being heavily linked to several different strikers ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer transfer window at the Emirates.

The Gunners opted not to sign a forward in January as they weren’t eager to scupper their future plans.

This immediately backfired, as Kai Havertz was ruled out for the season through injury last week, while Gabriel Martinelli sustained a hamstring issue that will keep him out for a month.

However, Mikel Arteta and the North London club’s hierarchy are set to address their issues up front in the summer, and they’ve already established a set of targets.

Benjamin Sesko is known to be of interest to Arsenal, but the Gunners should instead be looking at one of the Slovenian’s Bundesliga counterparts.

• READ MORE: Arsenal simply must seal transfer for 20-goal striker who Jorginho loves after making ‘contact’

Arsenal should target Hugo Ekitike instead of Benjamin Sesko

Raheem Sterling isn’t likely to remain at Arsenal when his loan expires at the end of the season, while Gabriel Jesus will miss a significant portion of next season through injury.

Thus, attacking reinforcements will be needed in the summer, and a striker is at the top of the club’s priorities.

While Sesko is the name on everybody’s lips, there is a better option hoping for a move in the Bundesliga.

Hugo Ekitike has been loosely linked with Arsenal in the past, and they should be exploring a potential deal for the Eintracht Frankfurt number nine now.

Described as ‘phenomenal’ by football analyst Ben Mattinson, the Frenchman is just a year older than Sesko, and is enjoying a season significantly better than anything the RB Leipzig man has produced thus far in his career.

Scoring 12 goals and registering three assists in 20 league starts, Ekitike is on course to beat Sesko’s tally of 14 last season, while the Slovenia international is currently on just nine Bundesliga goals.

The Frankfurt man is significantly more well rounded than the former Salzburg player, is more astute at holding the ball up, combining with players around him and is much more able to run the channels and take players on in wide areas.

Arteta’s system requires a striker who can contribute to the build-up and lead the press, aspects of Ekitike’s game which are well polished, while Sesko needs a lot of refinement and coaching.

On top of all this, the noise around the 22-year-old isn’t as loud as that around Sesko, meaning it’s possible Arsenal can negotiate a cheaper deal for the France under-21 international.

Hugo Ekitike’s statistics vs Benjamin Sesko’s statistics

Arsenal need a striker who is alive in the penalty box and puts up volume in regards to shots and good chances.

Sesko currently doesn’t do this, averaging just over two shots per 90 minutes and 0.33 expected goals.

While the Leipzig number nine strikes the ball nicely, he hasn’t developed into a player who is capable of getting good chances frequently throughout matches, and these underlying metrics don’t point to a player that will score bucket loads of goals.

He can certainly improve in this aspect, but in a league where forwards’ numbers are often inflated, these data points are certainly a cause for concern.

Meanwhile, Ekitike is averaging over four shots per 90 minutes and accumulating 0.85 xG, as well as contributing significantly more creatively and on the dribble.

This skill of finding himself in great goal-scoring positions consistently means he’s always likely to score goals, while Sesko is currently relying on a ridiculous finishing purple patch that may not prove to be sustainable.

It should be a no brainer for the analytics department, although Arteta appears to be transfixed on the idea of Sesko.