Opinion: Sesko Being Arsenal’s First Choice Tells Us A Lot About What Our Manager Is Thinking!

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·10. Juni 2025

Opinion: Sesko Being Arsenal’s First Choice Tells Us A Lot About What Our Manager Is Thinking!

Some Gooners are concerned that, having waited since last summer for a striker, some angry that even after injuries one didn’t arrive in January, and with ex-players, pundits and even supporters of other clubs feeling that a proven goalscorer could be the missing piece of our puzzle, it’s looking increasingly likely that our first-choice target is someone who is… not a proven goal-scorer!

The third highest-paid coach in the world’s solution to finding a forward who can provide 20-30 Premier League goals is Benjamin Sesko, whose highest-scoring league tally in Germany is 14, only beaten by his career-high 16 in Austria’s top flight.

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This isn’t a case of there being a lack of options in the market. Viktor Gyokeres, in two Primeira Liga campaigns, has 68 goals, two fewer than Sesko’s entire career total in either the German or Austrian Bundesliga, while Osimhen got 26 on loan in Turkey, also the greatest amount he recorded in Serie A. Both have buy-out clauses.

This isn’t about cost, it’s about conviction

This isn’t Arsenal trying to find the cheapest alternative. RB Leipzig might be more flexible regarding a repayment plan, but Sesko will cost just as much, if not more, than the other two.

Some reports are saying Gyokeres would be Andrea Berta’s pick, but our Director of Football respects that Sesko has been on Mikel Arteta’s radar long term. Having only arrived in March, the Italian doesn’t want to undermine negotiations that (off record) may have been going on since last summer.

Not wanting to be distracted at the Euros, the Slovenian clarified that, for his development, he thought it worthwhile staying in Germany for another year. It’s believed he made a gentleman’s agreement with his employer: if the 22-year-old stayed another 12 months, no one would stand in his way afterwards if a certain value was met.

Reports in the last two transfer windows said that, having scouted the youngster for years, the Gunners believe the player has such a high ceiling they were willing to wait for him rather than bring in an alternative.

Some of my peers may be concerned by that transfer strategy and worry it’s out of touch with what the fanbase expects, while others will feel it confirms what we already know.

(Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Is Arteta thinking long-term when fans want now?

Sesko could very well develop into a world-class player. He’s at an age where his finishing stats could one day improve. When he reaches his peak, he could be viewed as superior to the other names I mentioned.

Yet fans are tired of being asked to wait. It’s been two decades of patience. In that time, we had young squads who got broken up by eventually even the dressing room getting impatient for jam tomorrow. A Nasri, Fabregas, Van Persie, etc., were not willing to put their careers on hold to wait for others to mature, and the same will eventually happen to Saliba. Especially if those with more of a proven track record in front of goal join the same division and outscore him.

No signing is guaranteed to deliver, of course, but in terms of purely finishing, our boss seems to be picking a raw talent over a finished article. Clearly, that means there are stats more important to the Spaniard?

Which means the 43-year-old either doesn’t feel the team needs a natural poacher but can instead share the goals around, or he believes we are closer to getting over the finishing line than reality, and he doesn’t need to adapt his tactics?

Maybe he truly thinks that possession and random crosses into the box were his players dominating games, but he just needs a tall presence to be the target man?

The sport goes round in cycles, and at the moment, the days of a CF only having to worry about what they contribute inside the penalty area are long gone. Coaches care just as much about your ability to hold onto possession, your link-up play, spotting the runs of those on the overlap.

Some blame Pep Guardiola for overcomplicating football, hence one of his disciples works at the Emirates possibly overthinking systems. Even at the Etihad, they ended up bringing in Haaland to get them over the line in the Champions League.

Some argue that Man City are more entertaining to watch without a focal point. Yet having someone to get you the scrappy goals is crucial.

If it were José Mourinho, he would demand the individual more likely to deliver in the present with immediate effect. That’s because he worked for owners with ambition.

The fact Mikel Arteta’s judgement is influenced by the future shows he feels under little pressure from the Kroenke family to win the title in 2026 or else!

As a business, Arsenal are fantastically run. Their recruitment team have a clear action plan for not just now but assets whose worth will increase, and Arteta is part of that vision. Berta is also looking to bolster that team with the imminent addition of highly-rated talent spotter Matteo Tognozzi.

A great manager sticks by his convictions and isn’t pressured into changing his point of view.

So if Mikel Arteta and his staff have reviewed all data and truly feel Sesko gives the club the best possible chance of success, he should be listened to.

No point making him the third highest-paid coach in the world if you then don’t trust his judgement.

It equally isn’t Sesko’s fault who is or isn’t bought, or how long Arsenal have gone without being champions. He should be judged on his own merit.

Some have suggested Arteta doesn’t want to rely on one player to be the sole source of goals. He’d rather work with a diamond he can mould.

A Gyokeres would need everything built around him. An Osimhen would want to be the main man. Either of them would start every week.

Sesko means Kai Havertz probably starts the season up front.

We don’t win the Prem with Kai Havertz starting up front..

Thoughts in the comments please.

Dan Smith

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