Arsenal transfer NEWS: New asking price Benjamin sesko revealed as Club demands player plus Cash now to complete transfer imminently
Arsenal transfer NEWS: New asking price Benjamin sesko revealed as Club demands player plus Cash now to complete transfer imminently
Arsenal are now in a position to pursue RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko after the Slovenian player decided against a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia in time to play at the Club World Cup.
Saudi club Al Hilal had targeted Sesko as their third major signing to join Aleksandar Mitrovic ahead of the tournament in the US this summer. However, they needed to complete the transfer by 7pm GMT on Tuesday to register new players for the group stages.
Al Hilal will face Real Madrid in their opening match next Wednesday and hope to use the tournament to show how much Saudi football has improved, despite criticism of their Pro League. Their strategy relies heavily on spending money, but they have already missed out on signing Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres before turning to Sesko. The forward is keen to leave Leipzig this summer but prefers to stay in Europe.
Al Hilal, who recently appointed Simone Inzaghi as their new coach, also failed to convince Bruno Fernandes to join them. Fernandes chose to remain at Manchester United rather than follow his Portugal teammates Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabia.
Despite ongoing interest in Fernandes, Gyokeres, and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, with transfer fees expected to exceed £100 million for the latter two, Sesko is seen as a more affordable option.
Leipzig, who failed to qualify for European competitions this season, are expected to sell both Sesko and attacking midfielder Xavi Simons to raise funds. Sesko scored 21 goals in 45 games across all competitions last season.
While Sesko could earn up to four times more at Al Hilal than at Arsenal, his decision to turn down the Saudi club for now is a positive sign for the Gunners. Although a move to Saudi Arabia might still happen once the transfer window reopens next Monday, Arsenal appear to be in a strong position to sign him.
