Arsenal were among the clubs heavily involved in the race to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig after it was revealed that he had a £56 million release clause with the Bundesliga giants.
The Gunners were well-positioned to bring the Slovenian in but he ultimately made the decision to continue his development with his current employers in Germany.
The Athletic has reported that the Gunners are ‘not too disheartened’ by Sesko’s decision and had already recognised that him prolonging his Leipzig career remained a realistic possibility.
And therefore, the report adds that strengthening the midfield is now expected to be of ‘primary focus’ with the club ‘leaning towards’ signing a central midfielder as opposed to someone more attack-minded.
Arsenal want to acquire a fresh face to ‘complement Declan Rice’ and given that a number of exits in the centre of midfield are on the cards, it is understandable to see them prioritise a new arrival in the middle of the park.
Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson are both ‘contemplating their futures’. The north Londoners may not stand in their way as their sales would result in a total profit considering they are academy products.
While no particular defensive midfielder has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium so far, Arsenal’s recent urgency with transfers should suggest that a fresher update is only a matter of time.
Gunners’ attack remains potent even without a new striker
Though it was logical for Arsenal to pursue a striker, it is perhaps the correct decision from them to play the waiting game for Sesko instead of signing an alternative who probably never topped their wish-list.
The Athletic adds that the Premier League runner-ups will remain in contact with Sesko throughout next year to ‘maintain the relationship’, which would leave the door open to his signing in 2025.
For the moment, Mikel Arteta is able to call upon four names who are capable of leading the line – Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard.
Nketiah’s future at the club remains unclear but Havertz at Arsenal and Trossard at Brighton have done superbly in the strike position, proving to be more than reliable options for the coach.
On the other hand, Jesus will be expected to start the new campaign at the peak of his fitness and there is no reason to think why he cannot bounce back to prominence after an injury-troubled 2023/24.
