Who is Benjamin Sesko? The Slovenian hitman to fire Arsenal to glory

 

Wednesday's Champions League exit seems to have spurred Arsenal into action. The Gunners huffed, and they puffed, and... well it was more a light breeze rather than a gale force wind as they sought to book a semi-final spot at Bayern's expense. Indeed, they managed just three shots on target in Germany, the third of which was a Kai Havertz header in the 39th minute. 

 

With that, Arsenal are already believed to be planning for next season. With just the Premier League title to fight for, and even then they are two points behind the juggernaut that is Manchester City with six games to play, the aim is to build upon what has been another campaign of development. 

 

Liverpool are not expected to be in the the title picture next season as they plan for the first campaign of the post-Jurgen Klopp era, and pipping City to top spot is the immediate aim. They may yet do so this season but the north London side aren't resting on their laurels, and nor should they. 

 

Only City (76) have scored more goals than Arsenal (75) in the Premier League this season and while what makes the latter so effective is that any number of their key men can score - 15 players have netted a Premier League goal for the Gunners - they could benefit from an out-and-out goalscorer to boost their chances of silverware. As such, it's no surprise that Arsenal are looking to make a splash in the striker's market this summer. 

 

Victor Osimhen has been linked with a move to north London, so too as Alexander Isak, though both Napoli and Newcastle, respectively, will demand a hefty fee for their prized forwards. Another on the club's radar is RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. While Sesko only moved to the Bundesliga powerhouse from sister club Red Bull Salzburg last summer, there's a growing belief that the Slovenian forward will depart in the off-season. 

 

Crucially, too, is that while a number of other strikers will command hefty price tags, Sesko has a £42.7m release clause in his contract that will become active this summer. Cue interest from a number of Premier League rivals. Chelsea and Manchester United are rumoured suitors for the towering 20-year-old, and for good reason too. Not only is Sesko a powerhouse frontman capable of bullying defenders but he's a versatile performer who can operate out wide. Given his versatility, it's no wonder Arsenal are linked. 

 

Mikel Arteta is a fan of players able to operate in a number of roles, and a seemingly-old fashioned centre forward who is able to drift to the flanks seems the perfect fit for a youthful, fluid Arsenal frontline. While Sesko has also struggled for regular minutes in the Bundesliga this season, with 13 of his 26 outings coming off the bench, the young hitman has still struck nine times at a rate of a goal every 132 minutes. Yet on the rare occasion he has been handed a chance to impress from the outset, the Slovenia international has grabbed the chance. 

 

Six of the nine goals he has scored have come in his 13 league starts. While that may not make for great reading, that Sesko has been in and out of the starting XI means he hasn't been handed a fair chance to string a consistent run of form together and this has impacted his performances in front of goal. Nevertheless, with the futures of both Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah up in the air at the Emirates, Sesko would, feasibly, come in as first choice frontman at the Emirates. 

 

Factor in the alternative route to goal that Sesko would provide, and he would be a good fit for the Gunners. Arsenal have scored more headed goals (16) than any other Premier League side this season, though a fair chunk of those have come from deadball situations, with the north London side scoring more goals from set-pieces (18) than any other side in England's top tier this term. 

 

 

Of the nine goals Sesko has scored this season, four have been headers; only Harry Kane (8) has scored more in the Bundesliga. Arsenal have the personnel to capitalise on crosses but a consistent finisher to maximise balls into the box would undoubtedly aid the Gunners. Standing at 6ft4in, Sesko would be able to hold his own against opponents and regularly tuck the ball into the box. This is further emphasised in that of the 101 players to have fired off at least 25 shots, only VfB Stuttgart hitman Serhou Guirassy (33.8%) has a better conversion rate than the RB Leipzig man (24.3%) in the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign. 

 

While Sesko has been compared to former Salzburg man and current City star Erling Haaland, the duo differ in their approach to goal, with the latter preferring to come alive in the box, whereas the former is more than capable of linking up with teammates to a better standard. Given the desire of first choice wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to cut in from the right and left, respectively, Sesko would be a solid addition to this Arsenal frontline. 

 

In Arsenal's desperate attempts to end their title drought, Sesko could prove the perfect forward to bolster their chances of a prolonged spell at the summit of English football.

Who is Benjamin Sesko? The Slovenian hitman to fire Arsenal to glory