Arteta's side were interested in Sesko over the summer, with a reported £55million release clause also tempting the interest of Manchester United and Chelsea, who were also in the market for a new striker - but Sesko, fuelled by his development in the Bundesliga after joining from sister club RB Salzburg, agreed a new contract with the youngster to keep him in the German top-flight.
Jacobs: Arsenal 'Frontrunners' For Benjamin Sesko
The Gunners need a new striker with urgency, even in the summer
Benjamin Sesko in action for RB Leipzig
It's been a superb move by Marco Rose's men, with Sesko scoring 15 goals in 31 games for Leipzig - but that hasn't seen interest wane. Arsenal have seen Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus both ruled out with long-term injuries, meaning that Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino both had to endure spells up front in their Premier League clash against Leicester City over the weekend.
Benjamin Sesko's Bundesliga statistics - RB Leipzig squad ranking
Stats
Output
Squad rank
Appearances
21
=2nd
Goals
9
1st
Aerial Duels Won Per Game
2
3rd
Shots Per Game
1.7
4th
Dribbles Per Game
1.1
3rd
Match rating
6.89
=5th
And, whilst that worked to an extent with Merino scoring a late brace, it means that Arteta is looking at a striker in the summer - which Jacobs has revealed will impact their search for a free agent to amend their woes. Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs said:
"I think if they do choose to formally proceed with Benjamin Sesko in the summer, we can term Arsenal as 'the frontrunners' at this stage, and then we know that Alexander Isak is the other big name on the list that Arsenal really like. But obviously, he's a lot harder to get.
"At this stage, I think we're probably looking at Arsenal being opportunistic in the free agent market but appreciating that there's not a lot of profiles that are free transfers that are exactly the right fit."
Sesko has nine goals in 21 Bundesliga outings this season, meaning his overall record in the German leagues is almost at one goal every two games - and that, coupled with his young age and solid record for Slovenia, shows that he's a superb young talent on the up, having been described as 'incredible' by X user @RisingStarXI.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Benjamin Sesko has 16 goals in 39 caps for Slovenia.
But whether Arsenal will make a move for him as opposed to Isak - who is likely to cost a lot more but already has Premier League credentials - remains to be seen.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 19-02-25.
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