ARSENAL are searching for the missing piece to their puzzle, keen to add a deadly striker to their squad to help them go one step further than their three consecutive second place finishes.
That search appears to have returned two options – RB Lepizig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting Club’s Viktor Gyokeres.
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Mikel Arteta wants Sesko to be his big summer splash, but the Gunners have hit a stumbling block over wage demands.
The Slovenian’s camp are searching for a pay packet far in excess of what Arsenal are willing to pay the 22-year-old, an issue that is stalling a bid and could force a change of direction.
Gyokeres is Arsenal’s alternative option, with the Swede ready to leave Sporting after racking up an astonishing goalscoring record.
Gyokeres wants to move to the Premier League and is up for grabs this summer, but the 27-year-old is becoming aware he is a second choice.
Arsenal haven’t committed to either player yet and it looks like both are still viable options ahead of a crucial campaign for Arteta and his team.
Here SunSport breaks down how each player stacks up against one and other and who might be the best fit for the Gunners…
Benjamin Sesko
- Age: 22
- Club: RB Leipzig
- 24/25 apps: 45
- 24/25 goals: 21
- 24/25 assists: 6
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Benjamin Sesko is regarded as one of the brightest sparks in world football, a young striker with the potential to be a world beater in the future.
That’s reflected in his numbers, stats that show he isn’t the finished article just yet, but a diamond that needs polishing by a top manager instead.
Sesko scored 21 goals from 45 appearances last season, six more than the return of any Arsenal player, but some way off the numbers that the top strikers across Europe put up.
He is playing in a league that is considered as one of the best in world football, with the Bundesliga’s reputation far better than the Portuguese top flight.
While he managed four goals in eight Champions League appearances last term, proving he can do it against the best with goals against Juventus, Atletico Madrid and indeed Gyokeres’ Sporting Lisbon.
In the Bundesliga, Sesko scored only 13 goals – comparable numbers to the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Luis Diaz in the Premier League.
But for what he might lack in clinical finishing, Sesko makes up for in raw ability.
Standing at an imposing 6ft 5in, the Slovenian is a physical specimen who can dominate in the air, unleash impressive pace when needed and offer support beyond finding space in the box.
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In fact, under 10 per cent of his touches came inside the box this season – a figure that will be appealing to Arteta as a manager who likes his players to be involved all over the pitch.
His aerial ability will also be another huge draw for Arteta and set piece coach Nicolas Jover, who will be dreaming of the damage the Gunners could do with Sesko’s leap in the box.
The striker shows off his monstrous leap every time he scores – jumping into the air and coming miles off the ground – and that ability has come in handy with 57.4 per cent aerial success rate last term.
Sesko might not be the finished article, but there’s buzz that he could one day be one of the best striker’s in the world.
Leipzig teammate Yusuf Poulsen already thinks he’s the best player he’s played alongside.
He said: “He’s the best I’ve played with. If you look at his abilities, he has everything a top number nine needs… strength, shooting, technique, everything.”
Viktor Gyokeres
- Age: 27
- Club: Sporting Lisbon
- 24/25 apps: 52
- 24/25 goals: 54
- 24/25 assists: 13
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If Benjamin Sesko is the unfinished article, is Viktor Gyokeres the ready-made goal machine?
Gyokeres scored an astonishing 54 goals in 52 appearances for Sporting this season, making him the deadliest forward in Europe.
In the league, Gyokeres scored 39 goals in just 33 games – registering seven assists alongside that return too.
However, there are question marks over how much those goals mean when they come against the quality of opposition that Sporting are facing in the Portuguese top flight.
Against the likes of Porto, Braga and Benfica (the top sides in the Primeira Liga alongside Sporting), Gyokeres managed only two goals in six games.
While of the 39 goals he did score in the league, almost A THIRD of them were penalties (12).
However, it’s hard to look past such an impressive record, regardless of the opposition.
Those firmly in the Gyokeres camp will also point to the stunning Champions League hattrick he scored against Manchester City as an example of his ability against top sides, however two of those were penalties too.
Although he isn’t as tall as Sesko, Gyokeres still stands at 6ft 2in and is as much of a physical presence as Sesko in the box.
Players often seem to fall off him as he uses his wide frame to bulldoze into goalscoring positions.
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That said, he is far less imposing in the air than Sesko, something that could be putting Arsenal off making him their number one target.
One positive for the Gunners is that Gyokeres is no stranger to the English game, having played for Brighton, Swansea and Coventry in the earlier stages of his career.
While Gyokeres could also solve the frustration many Arsenal fans have about their players failing to shoot often enough.
The former Sweden international attempted 4.5 shots per game last season, almost two more than the 2.6 averaged by current first-choice striker Kai Havertz.
Gyokeres is also impressive with the ball at his feet, creating the second most chances of any other Primera Liga last season and ranking third for attempted dribbles.
But if all the stats add up and Gyokeres is available, why isn’t there a queue out of the door to sign him?
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Well, it appears the concern over the quality of Portuguese football is a genuine one, and one with a history of not paying off.
Arsenal will want assurances that their Portuguese purchase is a Bruno Fernandes and not a Darwin Nunez.
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