Arsenal unlikely to trigger Benjamin Sesko’s £67,000,000 release clause as Andrea Berta eyes alternative payment plan

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Arsenal have seemingly decided that Benjamin Sesko is their priority striker target ahead of the summer transfer window.

The window opens on Sunday, and Martin Zubimendi is expected to complete his move to Arsenal next week as he prepares to undergo his medical.

Now that the Spanish midfielder’s transfer is all but secured, focus will shift to acquiring a number nine for the Emirates hierarchy, and it’s well documented that Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres are at the top of Andrea Berta’s shortlist.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Thursday that Arsenal have opened talks with Sesko over a potential move, and that the deal is now progressing.

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It’s ‘unclear’ if Arsenal can afford Benjamin Sesko’s full release clause

Mikel Arteta has long been an admirer of Sesko, and it appears the North London club are now launching a concerted effort to secure their manager his primary target.

According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, negotiations between RB Leipzig and Arsenal for Sesko have commenced.

Berta met Leipzig executive Marcel Schafer in London to discuss the deal ‘a few days ago’, although some potential stumbling blocks have now come up.

Sesko’s release clause is set at over €80 million (£67 million), a fee that might prove too excessive for Arsenal.

The release clause would usually have to be paid up front in one instalment, but Plettenberg reports that the Gunners may not be able to afford the full package.

Discussions are now ongoing about a possible payment structure that doesn’t involve Arsenal splashing £67 million or more in one go.

Arsenal had a similar issue with Zubimendi’s release clause, and seem to have found a solution, with that deal all but wrapped up.

Arsenal shouldn’t pay over £60 million for Benjamin Sesko

While boasting extremely exciting raw physical attributes, Sesko is far from the finished article.

The Slovenian’s underlying metrics are somewhat alarming, and point to a player who is nowhere near ready to contribute to goals at the volume you’d expect from a £67 million striker signing.

The Gunners would be investing in his potential, but £67 million is a lot to pay for a player who might not produce all that much for your team in the immediate short term, even if he promises a lot moving forward.

Also, regardless of the exciting physical assets and his supreme ball-striking technique, Sesko is far from a guaranteed success and ultimately a huge risk for Arsenal to take.

The risk should be reflected in the price the Gunners pay for him, and Berta should be looking to mitigate this risk by negotiating a price lower than £60 million.