Arsenal were interested in signing Benjamin Sesko last summer before the striker extended his contract with RB Leipzig, however, links with the Slovenian have resurfaced in recent days – though it’s understood a January swoop is not currently on the agenda
Benjamin Sesko’s agent has spoken out on the future of his client and declared he expects the Slovenian striker to remain at RB Leipzig this month.
Speculation linking Arsenal with Sesko, who was their top attacking target last summer before the 21-year-old opted to extend his stay in the Bundesliga last June, has intensified in the past few days following confirmation of Gabriel Jesus’ devasatating ACL injury.
When asked if Sesko has the quality to play for Arsenal, the player’s agent Elvis Basanovic told Slovenian TV channel Arena Sport: “I think you should ask Mr. Arteta about that. But I think Sesko could suit many clubs because he has different football skills. He can play alone in attack, with two strikers, a little further back, he has height, speed, technical speed.”
When pushed specifically on whether Arsenal had made enquiries, Basanovic added: “I can’t answer that question for you.”
Sesko’s long-term Leipzig contract runs until the summer of 2029 and does not contain a release clause. While Arsenal retain an interest, it’s understood they are of the opinion he is not available for transfer this month and are instead exploring other potential market opportunities.
Basanovic also revealed that a future move will only be considered if it is beneficial for the player’s development. Collectively, following much deliberation, the attacker and his entourage decided against a Premier League switch prior to Euro 2024 when it wasn’t just Arsenal that were at the table.
Basanovic explained: “Benjamin Sesko is really shining, I think this is a phase of development. I think we have already shown in the past that we are sticking to the development path, that we are not looking at current form.
“Our decision regarding the next step, the transfer, has never and will not stem from current form, but from who can offer Sesko the best platform for his development.
“We can see that our decision was correct, six months later he is already a better striker than he was last season. What he lacks is experience. We must not forget that he is only 21 years old, so we did not want him to go to the Premier League in the summer. There were concrete options, but we consciously decided to stay in the Bundesliga to give him time to progress and develop into a better striker.”
When quizzed on what kind of price it would take Leipzig to consider a sale, Sesko’s representative was firm in his response, adding: “I don’t think Leipzig would be satisfied with any compensation at the moment, Leipzig does not want to sell Benjamin Sesko because they really value him immensely.”
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