Benjamin Sesko’s camp lowered their demands after realising Arsenal were moving for Viktor Gyokeres, but it was too late to make a deal possible.
Going into the summer, Arsenal’s most likely centre-forward signing appeared to be Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig. The player looked like the club’s first-choice option, particularly after multiple attempts to sign him in previous windows.
The Athletic report that Sesko’s camp believed he was the priority even after Andrea Berta arrived, but they were wary of committing to the Gunners too early.
According to the report, Sesko’s representatives took an aggressive negotiating position in talks with Arsenal, which didn’t go down well. The player’s salary expectations and agent commission were also felt to be too high for a development project player.
With Leipzig also demanding a high fee, the transfer ultimately became less appealing than signing Viktor Gyokeres, and the Gunners turned their attentions to the Swedish striker.
After that happened, Sesko’s camp started to make concessions. Perhaps they didn’t realise Arsenal’s interest in Gyokeres was more than just a negotiating tactic, and they always felt the Gunners would ultimately pay up for the Slovenia international.
But by the time Sesko’s representatives were willing to drop their demands, The Athletic report that it was “arguably too late”. Arsenal completed a deal for Gyokeres instead, with confirmation of that move coming on Saturday night.
Sesko’s most realistic move now appears to be Newcastle United, Arsenal’s friendly opponents this weekend. Eddie Howe’s side are considering the striker as a potential replacement for Alexander Isak, should their not-for-sale stance fail.
The priority is clearly for Newcastle to hold onto Isak, so that potential move is a long way off. The most likely outcome remains an extended stay in Germany.
That would presumably be disappointing for Sesko, with Leipzig failing to qualify for European competition this season and Xavi Simons pushing for an exit. But after signing a new Leipzig deal and setting high transfer demands, he’s made his own bed on this one.