AFC TRANSFER NEWS 》Arteta picks his striker: Arsenal make €83m bid

Mikel Arteta has picked the player he wants to spearhead Arsenal’s attack as they chase the Premier League title and is ready to launch an €83 million bid in order to ensure the Gunners get their man.

Arsenal are poised to make a decisive January transfer move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, according to The Sun.

The Emirates club are eager for more firepower after a frustrating 2-2 draw with Aston Villa at the weekend left them six points behind Liverpool in the Premier League having played a game extra. A persistent weakness of Arteta’s side this season has been their inability to kill opponents off and the belief is that signing a player of Sesko’s calibre could help that issue.

Injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus as well as dropped points have fuelled Arsenal’s eagerness to sign Sesko, who they had targeted initially to move in the summer, according to the English report.

STATS

Benjamin Sesko

RB Leipzig

Bundesliga

2024/25

17

Games

8

Goals

2

Assists

View all sta

Sesko to Arsenal: What’s been said?

RB Leipzig had their own frustrations at the weekend as both Sesko and Lois Openda were sent off in a 2-1 loss at Stuttgart, and despite that disappointment, head coach Marco Rose rejects that the club could consider a January sale of the 21-year-old hitman.

“We would be crazy if we were to talk about letting go of another attacking player,” Rose told the media on Friday.

Like Arsenal, Leipzig are juggling their own offensive injury problems, with Yussuf Poulsen and Andre Silva both sidelined and Xavi Simons just returning to fitness after a period out.

Indeed, the Bundesliga side are actively looking to recruit in attack.

Sesko’s agent Elvis Basanovic also indicated that a deal is unlikely when it was claimed last week that a loan may be on the cards.

Speaking to GMS, he said: “I don’t know where this story has come from but I have never talked with Arsenal about a loan move for Sesko.

“Sesko is not a player for loans and this was never a topic with Arsenal or any other club. If you ask me if Sesko will move in January, I can only say Sesko is a RB Leipzig player and fully focused on that.”

David Ornstein, meanwhile, said Arsenal have “no chance” of signing Sesko this month, suggesting that Arteta’s €83m bid will be rejected out of hand.

Read more about: Bundesliga Premier League Arsenal RB Leipzig Benjamin Sesko