“No denying” – Journalist drops update on Arsenal’s January bid for £55m-rated ace | OneFootball

Arsenal’s need for a striker is well known, but perhaps what has gone under the radar this month is that the Gunners have almost certainly made a bid for a long-term target.

Supporters will no doubt be mindful that losing out on Ollie Watkins is yet another tick in the ‘almost but not quite’ box.

The Watkins failure is particularly disappointing given his Gunners allegiance, but there’s still time to move on to other targets before the window closes.

Will they be a first or even second choice? Unlikely, but such are the difficulties of landing big names in this particular window.

It seems pretty clear that RB Leipzig’s £55m-rated (BBC) Benjamin Sesko remains a player of interest, and it appears that a cheeky attempt has been made by the club in January to finally acquire him.

Reliable journalist, Ben Jacobs, explained the situation on the Curtis Shaw TV podcast.

“The approach was made to Leipzig about are you or aren’t you prepared to sanction and exit,” Jacobs noted.

“I get the impression that has been done discreetly, and now it’s being downplayed by sources.

“There’s no denying that Arsenal went to Leipzig and asked the question and tried to understand whether there was a particular fee that could warrant a sale, but the other challenge is the player saying I committed to a year here because I thought it was best for my development.”

With the project still evolving under Arteta, the fact that the club appear not to have been able to land Sesko in January shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a negative.

Yes, he would’ve arguably provided the firepower needed to help force the issue in the Premier League, but if there’s a chance the club can land him in the summer for a price that’s more beneficial, that allows further room in the squad for strengthening.