ARSENAL are willing to play a waiting game to land Benjamin Sesko at a competitive price.
But the Gunners have other targets if they cannot agree terms for Sesko with RB Leipzig or for Viktor Gyokeres with Sporting Lisbon.
Mikel Arteta is yet to land a striker in a huge summer for Arsenal[/caption]
The Gunners are still hopeful of landing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig[/caption]
A deal for Viktor Gyokeres could also happen before the deadline[/caption]
Former Manchester City star Julian Alvarez and Eintracht Frankfurt frontman Hugo Ekitike are also on the Arsenal shortlist.
And sporting director Andrea Berta is spinning a number of plates as he bids to land the right striker for the right fee.
Arsenal’s interest in Sesko is long-standing and remains strong.
When the Slovenia international started following the Gunners on Instagram earlier this week, some fans seized on the news as a sign that a deal was closer.
Yet SunSport understands Leipzig are yet to receive a formal bid and the delay in progress is puzzling sources in Germany.
Leipzig need to sell one or both of their big stars – Sesko and Xavi Simons – because they have no European football next season and need funds to revamp their squad.
The Bundesliga club have allegedly annoyed Sesko by insisting on suitors paying his release clause, which is thought to stand at about £68m.
But the longer the transfer window goes on, the more pressure Leipzig bosses will be under to get a deal done.
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One source speculates they might be prepared to accept £60m in guaranteed payments, plus add-ons.
SunSport reported Sesko’s wage demands could be an issue for Arsenal, another reason to believe the club is not pinning all their hopes on him.
Meanwhile at Sporting, Gyokeres is kicking up a stink about the Portuguese club refusing to honour a gentleman’s agreement to let him go this summer for £59m – instead of his release clause of £85m.
The Sweden international, also a target for Manchester United and Liverpool, has long been touted as Arsenal’s second choice behind Sesko.
Some Arsenal fans are growing impatient with the club for not moving as swiftly in the summer market as rivals Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.
And there is no doubt that boss Mikel Arteta himself would want to sign a centre forward before the squad fly to Singapore for their pre-season tour on July 19.
But there is a distinct possibility that another frontman – neither Sesko nor Gyokeres – will be on the plane.
Hugo Ekitike is being monitored in case deals for Sesko or Gyokeres fall through[/caption]
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Berta was sporting director at Atletico Madrid when Alvarez joined the club from City last year.
Despite a good season in Madrid, Alvarez is keen to return to the Premier League and his experience of English football makes him a really attractive option for Arsenal – and other clubs, including Liverpool.
Atletico would want more than the £82m they paid for the World Cup winner.
But Arsenal might consider that a price worth paying for a player who is still only 25.
Ekitike is also an intriguing option. Some stats gurus reckon the France international, 23, would be the best buy for a top Premier League club this summer.
Julian Alvarez is also an option after a strong season for Atletico Madrid[/caption]
Inside Arsenal’s frustrating striker transfer saga
By Jordan Davies
ARSENAL’S never-ending hunt for a world-class striker is in turmoil as deals for Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres stall.
The Gunners were confident of doing their business quickly this summer after months of preparation by boss Mikel Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta.
But inflated asking prices and broken gentlemen’s agreements have derailed those plans and left Arsenal frustrated.
Sesko believed he would be allowed to leave RB Leipzig for around £60million, while SunSport understands Gyokeres was told £59m would be enough to seal his own exit.
But those price-tags have gone up, leaving Arsenal debating whether they represent value for money.
While the players’ camps are also growing restless, knowing the Gunners can only sign one of them.
So what next? Will Arsenal keep waiting in the hope of fees eventually going down? Or turn to other targets, like Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike?
Whatever they decide, with pre-season looming and the fixtures already out, Arteta will be desperate for them to move quickly to avoid another nearly season.
Unlike Leipzig with Sesko, current club Eintracht Frankfurt are under no pressure to cash in on Ekitike.
They will play Champions League football again next season and sold Omar Marmoush to Manchester City in January in a deal worth up to £64m.
So Eintracht can hold out for the £85m that they want for Ekitike, especially with Liverpool, Manchester United and other clubs all prepared to rival Arsenal for his signature.
Which means that if Arsenal bide their time a bit and can get Sesko for less, he could still be their man, the striker given the task of turning Arteta’s team of nearly men into winners.
But despite all the talk about Sesko and Gyokeres, the Gunners’ top target may have been someone else entirely all along.
