Arsenal are reportedly already turning their attention to the January transfer window, with new reports linking the Gunners to one of the finest talents in Europe.
Mikel Arteta’s side have started the Premier League season unbeaten, with only north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur winning more points than them so far in the 2023/24 league campaign.
The north Londoners will be hoping to improve on their second-place finish of last term, with changes made to narrow the gap from the top in the summer, as four new faces arrived at the Emirates.
Squad depth was a detrimental theme in the case of Arsenal denying themselves their first league title since 2004, and with a host of quality acquisitions on board, only time will tell if the recruitment was sufficient enough.
Looking towards the fast-approaching January window, the Gunners have been linked with a number of talents already, with one position in particular prevailing as an area for attention in the market.
Arsenal January transfer targets
Acquiring a proven goalscorer doesn’t come cheap in today’s market, which Arsenal may discover in the winter window as three names capable of leading the line have emerged as potential targets.
For €100m (£87m), the Gunners could seek Feyenoord talisman Santiago Gimenez, who 90min claim Arteta’s side are admirers of along with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
The Mexican has already scored 15 goals in 12 appearances this season, making his hefty price tag self-explanatory as he continues to dominate the Eredivisie at just 22 years old.
Closer to home, another player said to be worth nine figures is Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who is claimed to be on the wishlist of Arsenal, however at the point of his return from his ban, the Bees are expected to demand £100m for his services.
There’s no denying the quality of the Englishman, who is an established scorer in the Premier League with 32 top-flight goals over the last two seasons combined, but whether the Gunners could facilitate such an expense for the 27-year-old is questionable.
New reports have shed light on another potentially exciting talisman for the north Londoners to consider, with the Mirror speculating that RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko is a target to bring to the Emirates.
The report claims that the 20-year-old rejected Manchester United last summer, and is now being ‘monitored’ by Arsenal as a potential new addition to the front line.
It’s said that Leipzig value their striker, who only arrived in July from RB Salzburg, at just £40m, which could be considered a low fee for his talent with his market value reading €50m (£43m) – via CIES Football Observatory.
Despite his relative youth, the Slovenian is showing great promise in his scoring abilities in Europe, making him a highly exciting prospect for Arsenal to weigh up.
The stats that show Benjamin Sesko would be a good signing for Arsenal
The Gunners have seen some magnificent strikers lead the line over the years, with Thierry Henry being the benchmark in north London for many to try and reach.
It’s notable that identifying a reliable goalscorer is something that is missing from Arteta’s current crop of talent, which was highlighted earlier this season by pundit Gary Neville.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the Manchester United legend explained how Arsenal are missing a forward that can be an instinctual finisher, describing the demographic of player that the north Londoners require as one who “senses where the ball is going to land.”
Benjamin Sesko
Eddie Nketiah
Gabriel Jesus
16
4
11
20%
10%
14%
1.4
0.5
1.2
127 min
275 min
189 min
7
2
6
As portrayed in the table above, it’s clear that Sesko is a more prolific scorer than the two traceable number nine’s that Arteta currently has at his disposal.
What’s most interesting is that while his numbers at Salzburg were impressive for a teenager, he has begun to translate his “machine man” status in Germany, as he was once lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
In the Bundesliga this term, the Slovenian has netted three goals from only two starts, averaging a scoring frequency of 71 minutes to highlight his clinical nature in front of goal.
While Jesus arrived last summer with experience in playing in the Premier League, the Brazilian can’t be labelled a prolific finisher, with him still yet to score more than 14 goals in a league season.
The forward would be an undeniably strong signing for Arsenal to replenish their strike department, with Sesko’s no-nonsense finishing qualities already baring similarities to one of the Premier League’s best.
Benjamin Sesko’s playing style
Previously dubbed a “complete forward” by Kulig, the scout likened the striker's playing style to that of Erling Haaland back in 2021 when he was just 18.
Since then, the comparisons have continued to grow, with the official Bundesliga site stating the 20-year-old has ‘shades of’ the Manchester City hitman.
Scouting site Breaking the Lines described the forward’s finishing as his ‘most exciting’ strength, with him being a powerful figure who uses his build to be a difficult obstacle for defenders to overcome.
His pace and ability to finish see him likened once again to Haaland, with Breaking the Lines calling him more of a 'Haaland than a [Gianluca] Scamacca' for how he utilises his 6 foot 4 frame.
The Slovenia international has been likened to the formidable Norweigan countless times in the early stages of his career, but just how does he compare to the treble winner, and what could he offer to Arsenal?
How does Benjamin Sesko compare to Erling Haaland
There are parallels in the two striker’s career journeys so far, with both talents showcasing their ability at RB Salzburg before moving to Germany for further experience.
Identically, Haaland and Sesko both netted 16 Austrian Bundesliga goals in their respective final campaigns at Salzburg, moving on to new challenges as the number one forward for the side at the point of their departure.
One of the most comparable themes between the two forwards is their ability to make the most out of a chance in a game, which is portrayed through the duo’s lack of touches on average per game last season.
In the 2022/23 Premier League, Haaland averaged only 23.7 touches of the ball per game, yet boasted a conversion rate of 29% and netted a record 36 goals, via Sofascore.
In the Austrian Bundesliga, Sesko averaged 28.2 touches per game, sporting a conversion rate of 20% and netting 16 goals to assert his dominance on the side at the mere age of 19.
For Arsenal, Arteta only needs to look at how Pep Guardiola’s side has flourished thanks to the arrival of Haaland to be inspired by the importance of hiring a strict finisher.
The Gunners came close last term, but weren’t close to City in terms of player-for-player quality, reinforcing what needs to be done for the Spaniard to close in on some overdue major silverware at the Emirates.
If the statistics, performances and comparisons are anything to go by, Arteta could take a huge leap in the right direction by signing Sesko in the near future.