David Ornstein has suggested Arsenal’s summer striker shortlist is down to three names, but there’s no conclusion to the saga just yet.
There’s been plenty of speculation around Arsenal’s striker targets this summer, and there had been some suggestions over the last week or so that the club had made Benjamin Sesko their number-one target.
That talk was driven by reports that the Gunners have held talks with RB Leipzig, and that those conversations were progressing well.
Yet speaking to The Athletic FC Podcast, David Ornstein reports that it’s “normal” to have held those talks with Leipzig and Sesko’s representatives. And that doesn’t necessarily mean other strong candidates like Viktor Gyokeres and Ollie Watkins are out of the race.
“They’ll be assessing their options, we know Sesko and Gyokeres and Watkins are high among them,” Ornstein said.
“Listen, we see the reports about some conversations, dialogue with RB Leipzig, with the representatives of Sesko, and that’s normal. That’s what you’re meant to do. I’d be more surprised if Arsenal weren’t exploring all of that sort of stuff.
“It’s similar with Gyokeres, with Watkins. We’re not aware of other candidates.
“A lot of work goes into this sort of thing, and we clearly don’t have a conclusion just yet.”
There have been some suggestions from the outside that perhaps Arsenal and new sporting director Andrea Berta are simply employing negotiating tactics, making it clear that they have multiple options so they can’t be held to ransom.
Ornstein’s comments hint that perhaps the decision simply hasn’t been made just yet, with Arsenal looking to get a full picture before pulling the trigger on a deal. But maybe that’s just what Berta wants everyone to think.
The fans will certainly hope that there’s a swift resolution to the situation, and Ornstein adds that Arsenal will want that too. It’s just a very important transfer for the club to get right, so they can’t rush it.