Arsenal hijack warning as £56m target ‘says no’ to ‘crazy proposal’; will ‘decide between three clubs’
Arsenal have been warned that they could miss out on RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko, as three Premier League clubs are looking to sign him.
After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title to Man City, Arsenal are expected to be busy during this summer’s transfer window and one of their priorities will be to sign a new striker.
Germany international Kai Havertz surpassed expectations during his debut season at the Emirates, but they are still likely to sign a new forward as Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are being linked with moves elsewhere.
Sesko has emerged as a leading target for Arsenal after scoring 14 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances for RB Leipzig during his debut campaign for the German outfit in 2023/24.
The 21-year-old is available for a reasonable price as there is a £56m release clause in his contract, but Arsenal faces competition from Premier League rivals.
It has been claimed that Sesko has already ‘said yes’ to Arsenal. Yet a hijack could be on the cards, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that he will “decide between” the Gunners, Chelsea and Manchester United.
“Benjamin Sesko is taking his time to decide his future, because, as I told you two weeks ago, he has a really important new contract proposal from RB Leipzig, which would see him earn an important salary and to change the release clause,” Romano said in his Daily Briefing column.
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“So now Sesko has to decide if he wants to extend his contract with Leipzig, or leave, and probably go to the Premier League.
“As soon as Sesko will decide, I will let you know, and then which club? I can guarantee that Sesko is still taking his time to decide between three clubs – Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
“Everything is still open and these three clubs are all in the race. Sesko has all the projects in front of him, but has not accepted any proposals yet.
“So now Sesko needs to decide what to do, but the first step will be with Leipzig. The player already said no to two crazy proposals from Saudi, with one club offering €30m net per season, but he said no, and so his future remains a big topic and one of the most important stories to follow for the months of June.”
Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi is understood to be another player on Arsenal’s radar. Romano refuted claims that he is “not looking to leave” as he his future is “not decided”.
“We keep hearing a lot of stories about Martin Zubimendi, who has been linked several times mostly with Arsenal and Barcelona, while some outlets are now stating that he is unlikely to leave Real Sociedad as he is happy and settled in his hometown and not looking to leave the Basque region,” Romano added.
“However, my understanding remains is that this is not decided yet. Zubimendi’s future, his decision, is still not clear yet – it remains an open situation, and he has a €60m release clause.”
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