RB Leipzig are asking for as much as €100 million (£86m) for Benjamin Sesko this summer – demands Arsenal are refusing to meet.
Securing a new central striker has been of utmost importance for Arsenal. Sesko along with Sporting CP player Viktor Gyokeres have been pinpointed as their top priorities.
Arsenal have looked into signing Gyokeres. but a harsh dispute between the Swedish international and his team has threatened to sabotage any attempt.
It is reported that Sesko is Mikel Arteta’s top choice to spearhead his attacking lineup next season, however, the club has yet to submit an official bid for the 22-year-old.
Sky Sports Germany The current asking price set by Leipzig is now in the range of €80 million to €100 million (£69 million to £86 million). This amount is beyond what Arsenal is willing to spend at this time.
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The club has kept in touch with Sesko’s representatives, yet complete accord regarding individual conditions is still lacking.
Although Sesko is 'drawn to the prospect' of joining Arsenal, which offers Champions League football, the forward remains calm about the circumstances and won’t try to push for a transfer to North London.
Arsenal has had a longstanding interest in Sesko but decided not to make a move for him in January because of a gentlemen's agreement with Leipzig. This pact ensured he would remain with the German club until at least the summertime.
The Slovenian international was nearly departing last summer but decided to ink a new deal instead, thereby eliminating a former exit clause worth £55 million.
Meanwhile, Arsenal has also shown interest in signing Gyokeres, who finds himself at the center of a contentious dispute with Sporting regarding the transfer fee demanded for his services.
The Sporting Club president, Frederico Varandas, has refuted claims about an arrangement that would permit Gyokeres to depart from the team with a transfer fee of €60 million plus additional performance-based payments totaling up to €10 million this season. This denial was quite disheartening for both the forward player and his representative, Hasan Cetinkaya.
Last week, Arsenal’s sports director, Andrea Berta, held discussions with representatives from Sporting regarding a potential agreement.
Arsenal’s first bid valued at €55m (£46.8m) with an additional €10m (£8.5m) in potential bonuses was turned down; however, a better proposition was anticipated.
Nevertheless, the continuing dispute among Sporting, Gyokeres, and his representative along with the ambiguity regarding the transfer sum needed to lure him away from Lisbon persists. has encouraged Arsenal to 'halt' their chase as per recent updates from Portugal.
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