Last summer, Arsenal needed to sign a new centre-forward. Benjamin Sesko was in their crosshairs but he ultimately ended up signing a new contract with current employers, RB Leipzig.
In the end, the Gunners went without. The only signing to bolster the forward line was Raheem Sterling.
The Chelsea loanee promised we’d see the best of him. That did not happen.
In January, Mikel Arteta was crying out for a striker again but it wasn’t forthcoming. What happened next? Kai Havertz sustained a nasty hamstring injury during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
Arsenal’s Premier League form suffered drastically and it ultimately tripped them up in Paris when they exited the Champions League at the semi-final stages.
So, a year on from when a new centre-forward first should have arrived, Arteta and Co are back at square one, chasing Sesko again.
Arsenal moving closer to signing a new centre forward
When you end the campaign with Mikel Merino up top, you know something has gone drastically wrong.
In all fairness, Merino was fine. Fine being the key word. He wasn’t exceptional, he wasn’t the spearhead you need to win a Premier League or continental title but he did score six goals in 12 outings as a striker.
That’s not bad at all, but it’s not the 54-goal tally Viktor Gyokeres scored. It’s not the 27 goals Alexander Isak scored. It’s not the 21 goals Sesko scored either.
All three of those players would be excellent signings, but it’s Sesko who looks the most likely to arrive at the moment.
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That’s according to German publication BILD, via Sport Witness. They report on Wednesday that a deal is beginning to move on the player side.
Indeed, BILD states that Arsenal have ‘reached an agreement’ on personal terms between them and the striker.
While that doesn’t mean anything is wrapped up with Leipzig, the report does note that Arsenal have signalled to the Bundesliga club that they are set to made a bid that will not fall below their expectations financially.
It’s likely to take an offer between £68m-£85m to convince them to sell.
How Sesko could replicate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal
It’s safe to say that since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left Arsenal behind, Arteta has lacked a real potent centre-forward.
That’s not to say it was a mistake to let him go. After all, the Gabonese striker departed in controversial circumstances, stripped of the captaincy (video below) and then flying out to Barcelona on a trip that wasn’t sanctioned by the club.
Despite his flaws, Aubameyang was a mighty fine player for the club and was a key reason behind Arteta’s only trophy as a manager so far, the FA Cup in 2019/20.
Given Arsenal’s recent progress, it’s remarkable that they’re currently in the middle of a five-year trophy drought, but it’s perhaps no coincidence that they’re yet to win any major honours since Auba departed.
His record with the Gunners was exceptional, scoring 92 goals in 163 outings, most notably winning the Premier League Golden Boot in 2018/19.
He was one of the meanest forwards in the whole of English football during his time at the Emirates Stadium and even deservedly found his way into the PFA Team of the Year for 2019/20.
Aubameyang was relentless, netting 31 goals in 51 games throughout 2018/19 and then the following term, he bagged 29 in 44 matches.
Well, if Sesko did arrive then he’d certainly have a lot to live up to but there are similarities in the way they play the game.
Described as “the new Haaland” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Slovenian possesses a tall frame, standing at 6 foot 5. In contrast, the former Arsenal forward stands at 6 foot 2.
There is a slight difference there but what their height allows is for a longer and more powerful stride pattern. They can burst beyond the last line of the defence and surge towards goal in a similarly explosive fashion.
Rather than relying on intricate build-up play, they’re also very clever with their movement and rely on their instinctive finishing ability. In essence, they’re both mighty fine poachers. More often than not, they’re always in the right place at the right time.
Shots
2.50
2.61
Shot on target %
43.9%
44%
Average shot distance
17.5 yards
15.5 yards
Expected goals (xG)
0.38
0.42
Shot-creating actions
1.93
1.98
Touches
34.1
35.4
Carries
16.8
20.9
Completed passes
15.7
17.6
Key passes
0.72
0.75
Pass completion %
67.6%
67.3%
Comparing one of Aubameyang’s best seasons at Arsenal with Sesko’s latest campaign, we can see see alike the pair are.
They took a near identical number of touches and completed a near identical rate of successful passes per 90 minutes, suggesting their actions in the build-up are very similar.
Likewise, they come out very closely for key passes and shot-creating actions, underlining how often they make something happen in the final third of the pitch.
Aged just 22, Sesko clearly has a lot of development left to do but if Arteta could extract that in north London, the Spaniard may well have the next Aubameyang on his hands, just without the excess baggage. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
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