Benjamin Sesko's risky Arsenal demand, transfer rule could be broken, five-year wait

As rivals Liverpool and Manchester City stamp down their authority on the transfer window, Arsenal are still yet to make a signingahead of the 2025/26 season. The Gunners are coming off the back of a disappointing campaign where they finished second in the Premier League for the third year in a row.

Injury problems in the second half of the season and a lack of firepower up front were the main reasons, and it appears manager Mikel Arteta is keen to buy a star strikerthis summer in a push to win some long-awaited silverware. Arsenal have been negotiating deals for both Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres in recent weeks, both of whom are reportedly keen to join the Gunners.

Sporting CP’s Gyokeres is the more clinical of the pair given his 54-goal haul last season. But it is understood that Sesko being five years younger at 22, as well as playing in a more difficult league with RB Leipzig, makes him Arteta’s first-choice.

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German outlet Bild reported last week that a verbal agreement has been reached between Arsenal and the Bundesliga side for Sesko, with rumours suggesting the fee lies anywhere between £85.5million and £68.5m. The Slovenian’s price-tag may be affected by Leipzig’s failure to qualify for European football, which means they are in need of cash.

And with the clubs said to be in agreement, the next step is for Arsenal to finalise personal terms with Sesko, who was linked to the Gunners last summer but opted to stay in Leipzig for another year. Now, Mirror Football takes a look at three of the latest talking points surrounding potentially the next big-name striker to become a hit in north London.

Arsenal’s five-year curse

A lot of pressure will be put on Sesko's shoulders to hit the ground running if he signs for Arsenal, which is slightly unfair given his relatively young age and the gulf in quality between the Premier League and Bundesliga. The Emirates Stadium supporters want a ready-made, world class striker to finish the big chances they missed so regularly this season.

It’s usually believed that 20 goals is a solid benchmark for a top Premier League striker. But Sesko would have to become the first Arsenal player in five years to score that many goals, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring 22 back in 2019/20.

No player has managed more than 16 in one season in any of the campaigns since. Kai Havertz topped Arsenal’s ranks with nine goals this term, while Bukayo Saka netted 16 in the 2023/24 season. Martin Odegaard notched 15 the year before, with Saka on 11 and Alexandre Lacazette on 13 the two years prior to that.

Sesko, meanwhile, only scored 13 in 2024/25 and 14 in the 2023/24 campaign in the Bundesliga. He will hope that better service can help him push on and truly leave a mark in his debut season in England.

Seven-year transfer rule broken

Targeting Sesko could be deemed a departure from Arsenal’s usual tactics since Arteta took the helm in December 2019. His arrival would mark the first time they have signed a player from the Bundesliga since 2018.

Under Arteta and previous sporting director Edu, the Premier League has remained their preferred shopping destination. As seen with David Raya, Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Ben White, Arsenal have often turned to players with experience in England due to Premier League-proven players requiring less time to adapt.

There's a general consensus that those from Spain's La Liga also fare well in England’s top flight, with Arteta utilising his links in his homeland to bring in the likes of Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and now reportedly Martin Zubimendi. Even Italy’s Serie A appears to be highly rated by the Spaniard, who has shopped there for the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior.

But, for whatever reason, he has chosen to steer clear of signing players from Germany. The Gunners’ last first team players signed from the Bundesliga came in 2018 with Bernd Leno and Sokratis seven summers ago, under Unai Emery.

Yet, the move for Sesko is more akin to Arsenal's £60m move for Aubameyang earlier that year, given their positions and high potential.

Arsenal’s Sesko frustrations

Arsenal are reportedly growing frustrated with Sesko over his wage demands as they look to wrap up a deal for their top summer target. Negotiations are said to not be going smoothly due to his desired salary, with Sesko's camp looking to land a big pay day.

But, as reported by The Sun, Sesko's demands could prove risky and backfire. The north Londoners could very well back out of the deal, with sporting director Andrea Berta able to fall back on the negotiations he has been holding with Gyokeres instead.

It is understood that Arsenal are Gyokeres’ first-choice destination this summer ahead of Manchester United, where the Swede’s former boss Ruben Amorim is currently in charge.

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