The £55m Arsenal striker transfer option that makes perfect sense amid five-man shortlist claims
Arsenal have reportedly marked down a list of strikers they could tempt in January as they look to beat Manchester City to the League title.
Arsenal are at the point where the rubber meets the road. They know they have Manchester City where they want them, but there is one thing standing between them and the Premier League title - an elite striker who can consistently find the back of the net.
Team Talk claim there is a five-man shortlist that includes Victor Osimhen, currently at Napoli with a release clause that could see him leave in January if an offer is made, Benjamin Šeško, who was linked with Arsenal in the summer, Lille’s Jonathan David, who has been scouted multiple times, Inter’s Marcus Thuram, who is enjoying a brilliant start to the season, and Newcastle United’s Alexandre Isak.
All are good strikers, but none make more sense than Šeško. He has everything it takes to be successful at the Emirates, has room for further development, and could be as good as anyone else on the list. One of the reasons he's such a massive threat is his versatility. His ability to adapt in games has made him not just a goal scorer, but also a highly skillful player who can make an impact in various roles.
Further attractive traits are his height, physicality, and mobility. For someone of his stature, he possesses remarkable agility, possibly even more than Haaland, while still being able to operate as a target man. Šeško brings something unique that Mikel Arteta currently doesn’t have in his squad.
January is typically a quiet transfer window, but sources suggest that for a fee in the region of £55 million, Arsenal could convince RB Leipzig to sell, as his new contract was more about protecting the club’s assets than securing his long-term stay.
The Gunners have Gabriel Jesus, and while the Brazilian offers plenty of qualitities, he doesn’t consistently score or come across as a lethal No. 9. Similarly, Kai Havertz is brilliant in his off-the-ball runs, but is simply not a natural target man. Arteta has tried playing him as a striker, but that isn’t where he will flourish, a point that has been made on multiple occasions.
Isak would also have been a great option given his height, mobility, and Premier League experience. However, Šeško is 21, while Isak is 25, and the Swedish forward would likely cost more. Newcastle, with their European ambitions, wouldn’t sell for less than £70 million.
The ideal signing to complete this Arsenal team and make them formidable in both Europe and the Premier League would be the Slovenian. Šeško has proven over the last few years that he has the potential to be the next big thing in European football. Mikel Arteta has shown that he can get the best out of young players, and Šeško would be another talent he could develop and help reach his full potential.