Arsenal transfer battle: Mikel Arteta’s plans reportedly under threat from Barcelona for European striker
Arsenal are reportedly in a transfer battle with Barcelona for one of Europe’s most wanted strikers, and could face a race against time to sign him this January.
Arsenal are reported to be in a transfer battle with Barcelona for the signature of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.
The Gunners drew 2-2 with Aston Villa on Saturday evening and lost ground in the Premier League title race, with league-leaders Liverpool six points ahead despite having played a game less.
Though Mikel Arteta‘s side took a two-goal lead against Villa, fans have become concerned about the team’s ability to finish chances, and these concerns have been amplified in light of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus‘s respective injuries.
Arteta may have to wait until the summer for attacking reinforcements as January is a notoriously difficult time to do business in given clubs are often reluctant to lose key assets in the middle of a season.
The Mirror report that Leipzig striker Sesko is available in the summer for a fee of £60m, but note that Barcelona have been credited with an interest and that the striker could be for sale this month should a team make a huge offer.
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Do Arsenal need Sesko?
Kai Havertz scored against Villa on the weekend but he has come under fire for a number of high-profile misses in recent weeks, and despite a positive 2023-24 campaign, there remain serious doubts about his long-term future.
Havertz and Sesko have both scored eight league goals this term, though the latter has only accumulated 4.5 xG in the Bundesliga compared to the Arsenal man’s figure of 8.4 xG.
While an argument could be made that these stats suggest the Leipzig striker is an incredible finisher, it is very uncommon for players to consistently overperform their expected goals metrics.
Having said that, Sesko is only 21 and has demonstrated an ability to produce high-quality shots from difficult angles, and he would undoubtedly benefit from being coached by Arteta.
Is Arteta under pressure?
The Gunners boss should be praised for the work he has done at the club, taking the Londoners from relative obscurity in 2019 to consistently challenging for titles in the 2020’s.
Arteta’s side have also been heavily impacted by injuries this season, with fears emerging that William Saliba could miss out on his side’s clash against champions Manchester City on February 2.
Despite the mitigating impact of injuries on the squad, the Arsenal manager has spent roughly £700m since joining, and has only won the FA Cup in his tenure.
Having been eliminated from the FA Cup by Manchester United on January 12questions have been asked about whether the Spaniard must deliver more silverware in the near future to justify further expenditure.
If Arteta was to sign a striker in the summer to replace signing Havertz, then there will likely be expectations from the club’s owners to win major honours.
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