European Giants Battle Arsenal for Rising Star Benjamin Sesko's Signature
Arsenal's ongoing quest to secure a top-tier striker through the potential signing of RB Leipzig's Benjamin Šeško has faced a new challenge with Bayern Munich reportedly showing interest in the talented forward.
Šeško has emerged as Arsenal's primary target for the center-forward position. The Gunners have apparently reduced their pursuit of Sporting CP's prolific goal-scorer Viktor Gyökeres to focus their efforts on acquiring the tall Slovenian international.
The list of potential suitors had previously narrowed down to Mikel Arteta's team and the financially powerful Saudi Pro League. However, it now seems that Arsenal will also need to compete with an approach from Bayern Munich.
According to BILD, the German powerhouse is "interested" in Šeško. The report still suggests Arsenal maintains "the edge" in discussions, but Bayern's influence and attraction shouldn't be underestimated.
Vincent Kompany's team has funds available after being publicly rejected by Florian Wirtz. Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl explained that the club couldn't compete with the record-breaking offers Liverpool is reportedly making. While Šeško won't be inexpensive, RB Leipzig's minimum asking price of £70 million ($94.9 million) is considerably less than what Wirtz would cost.
Bayern has a long tradition of acquiring the Bundesliga's finest talent, creating a cycle that not only enriches the Bavarian giants but also weakens their closest competitors. Having missed the opportunity to sign Bayer Leverkusen's departing star player, Šeško might become their next target.
Should Arsenal's pursuit of the lanky 22-year-old falter, they could potentially resume negotiations with Sporting. Gyökeres reportedly prefers a move to north London rather than joining the struggling Manchester United and boasts a much more impressive goal-scoring record than Šeško.
Sporting has clearly indicated that Gyökeres will not be sold at a reduced price, though the club's reported valuation of £68 million ($92.4 million) is less than what Šeško is expected to cost.