Fabrizio Romano explains why Arteta and Edu decided against pursuing Osimhen, Toney, and Vlahovic, opting instead for a relatively unknown £150M striker.
Arsenal continues to pursue a top-class No. 9 in the summer transfer market to complement Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
Among their options, Victor Osimhen remains a possibility, despite Chelsea hesitating at Napoli’s high asking price.
Currently, the leading candidate to join Arsenal as a pure No. 9 is RB Leipzig’s young star Benjamin Sesko, who is also a top target for Chelsea this summer.
Previously, Alexander Isak of Newcastle and Ivan Toney of Brentford were favored to join Arsenal.
However, Sky Sports reports that Arsenal’s interest in Isak and Toney has waned as they prefer to sign a young striker to develop into a star.
Sesko, coming off an impressive season with Leipzig, fits this profile well.
Despite sharing minutes with Lois Openda, Sesko scored 14 goals in 17 starts, showcasing his clinical finishing at just 21 years old.
While Toney or Isak could benefit Arsenal, Newcastle is unlikely to sell Isak, and Arsenal may seek a higher-upside option than Toney.
Sesko is now the favorite, but Arsenal faces competition from Chelsea for his signature.
With a release clause around 60 million euros, Sesko is a more affordable and less injury-prone alternative to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.