Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres – which striker should Arsenal sign?

Arsenal’s long and protracted hunt for a new striker appears to have been narrowed down to two high-profile names.

Mikel Arteta has made no bones about his side’s need for an out-and-out goalscorer, and new sporting director Andrea Berta has made it priority number one for the summer transfer window.

Key injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz forced the Gunners to play large swathes of the season with Mikel Merino as a makeshift forward.

But the north London club now appear to be closing in on a marquee attacking signing as they look to rebuild ahead of a fresh title tilt next term.

With the window soon to open, it appears that Benjamin Sesko could well be the man for the job, with Arsenal said to have held ‘concrete talks’ over a £92.5million move for the RB Leipzig talisman.

But the Gunners – and Berta, in particular – are also keen to explore a deal for Viktor Gyokeres, the Swedish striker who has been scoring goals for fun at Sporting Lisbon.

Both imposing and talented figures, a deal for either would represent a serious upgrade on Arsenal’s current attacking option,. but which one is a better fit?

‘Sesko would offer Arsenal somthing completely different’

Just turning 22, Sesko has enjoyed a marked and steady rise since first breaking through at Austrian side Liefering in 2020.

Soon joining RB Salzburg, it wasn’t long before the Slovenian international made the switch to the Bundesliga, moving to RB Leipzig for just over £20m two summers ago.

An impressive first season saw him added to the wishlists of several top clubs before last summer’s European Championship, but Sesko rejected a move in favour of a new contract at Leipzig with a loftier release clause.

Sesko’s numbers are not mind-blowing – he has 27 league goals in his two Bundesliga campaigns – but it is his age and versatility that have drawn Arsenal’s attention once again this summer.

Blessed with a 6ft 5in frame, Sesko’s obvious physical advantages would make him an asset for Arsenal, who create a high proportion of their chances from crosses and set pieces.

The striker would provide more than just a focal point at the top of the pitch and is more than capable of dropping deep to receive the ball and link up play, even if his passing still has plenty of room for improvement.

When compared to Gyokeres, those attributes make him seem a more natural fit for Arteta’s side in its current iteration, although Sesko would certainly need time to adapt to Arsenal’s style given he playes in a 4-4-2 formation alongside a striker partner at Leipzig.

Regardless, his ability to occupy two centre backs in the central area of the pitch would provide a hugely beneficial distraction for Bukayo Saka, while his instinctive finishing inside the box stands out when compared to the aforementioned – and sometimes wasteful – Havertz and Jesus.

Don’t expect the finished product straight away

Expert analysis: Benjamin Sesko

It’s been quite a tough season for Leipzig, which forced them to change coach after a disappointing Champions League campaign. They’ve been struggling, which reflects on his output, but he’s still been one of their best and most consistent players.

Sesko’s strengths are certainly his physicality and speed – he’s great at making dangerous runs in behind defences, but he’s also a very clinical and instinctive finisher, especially when the ball drops to him in the area. His work rate is good and he’s a willing runner off the ball as well.

His hold-up play is quite strong, but I think his link-up play is a side of his game that he can still improve. It’s not that he’s bad at that side of the game, but compared to someone like Havertz, he’s not at that level. In particular, his passing will need to get a lot better in a side like Arsenal.

But during his young career, he’s shown he can take those steps forward. His mentality is definitely a strength – he’s a player who wants to learn and wants to improve so in that sense he will be a quick learner and offers Arsenal something completely different.

Rune Gjerulff, German football expert and editor of Bulinews

Sesko’s age – 22 compared to Gyokeres, who will soon turn 27 – is also a factor. While their priorities may change under Berta, Arsenal have tended to recruit younger talent which can be moulded to Arteta’s style and then enjoy their peak years at the club.

Arsenal may have to pay a premium for that potential, but the large fees previously splashed out on Declan Rice and Havertz show they are willing to spend big if they believe they have found the right player. Sesko could well be that, but any positive impact he makes at Arsenal may not be instant.

Could Gyokeres be the ready-made solution?

If Sesko is the diamond in the rough, then perhaps Gyokeres is the ready-made star.

Plucked from relative obscurity after a prolific campaign in the Championship, the Swede has enjoyed two remarkable seasons in Portugal: 66 league games, 68 league goals, and two league titles.

Even taking away his 12 penalties in the Portuguese league this season, Gyokeres’ tally of 27 non-penalty league goals is three more than anyone else in Europe’s top-five leagues last season.

Some will have doubts as to whether Gyokeres can replicate those numbers in one of Europe’s elite leagues, but the six goals he scored in eight Champions League games last season will go some way to easing those concerns.

Like Sesko, Gyokeres would also offer Arsenal a far more physical presence at the top of the pitch. The Swede’s pace and power have helped him create a host of his goals running in behind, while he is also blessed with a remarkably powerful shot when in front of goal.

While more than happy to sniff out chances in the box, Sporting’s 3-4-3 formation sees Gyokeres often drift out to the left flank to pick up the ball and create his own chances.

But while he is also able to use his size and strength to hold up play, Gyokeres isn’t as comfortable coming short with his back to goal or in the air, two traits often required of an Arsenal striker in Arteta’s system.

Gyokeres’ signing could force Arteta to adapt

Expert analysis: Viktor Gyokeres

Gyokeres is a bunch of different strikers blended into one. He’s a bulldozer, but he’s also got that turn of pace and knack of finding himself in shooting areas. Some strikers, you can see they overthink things, but he’ll shoot first and ask questions later.

At 6ft 2in, he could definitely add an aerial presence to his game to take himself to the next level, but he’s very good at using his chest as a magnet to win these aerial duels.

He may not be as fearless as others when it comes to aerial duels, but he knows how to use his strengths to his advantage to hold up the ball and bring others into play.

He’s not someone like Roberto Firmino who is going to be dropping deep, so if Arsenal need to change certain things to get the best out of Gyokeres then they should.

Zach Lowy, European football expert

Such characteristics mean that the potential signing of Gyokeres could force Arsenal to rethink how they attack in order to get the best out of the Swede.

The Gunners will undoubtedly still look to control the ball, but expecting Gyokeres to fulfil the same role as Havertz in Arteta’s side seems impractical.

Arteta could look to his long-time mentor, Pep Guardiola, for inspiration, who has successfully incorporated the pace and physicality of Erling Haaland into Manchester City’s possession-focused style.

Could Arsenal evolve to use Gyokeres similarly? Perhaps it’s worth a try.

The verdict – who should Arsenal sign?

With both strikers full of talent, the decision between Sesko and Gyokeres may well come down to where Arsenal’s intentions lie heading into next season.

While Arteta has revived the club’s fortunes since his arrival, seeing Tottenham win the Europa League served as another painful reminder that the Gunners have not lifted a major trophy of their own since 2020.

Expert analysis: What other transfer business do Arsenal need to do?

The one thing you do need to have now in games is a bench that can impact the game. With the injuries last season, Arsenal have been a bit light in how they can impact the game in the second half.

That also affects your ability to rotate and stay competitive on all fronts and we saw that in how their Premier League form fell off as they focused in the Champions League.

So beyond just a striker, it’s about filling those gaps in the squad to give themselves the best chance of narrowing the gap to Liverpool next season.

Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn, speaking to Metro via Wildz Online Casino.

Gyokeres, valued between £64-67m, looks likely to be the cheaper of the two options and would arrive in the prime of his career and ready to hit the ground running.

Arsenal may have to adapt their playstyle to suit the Swede, but perhaps rolling the dice is what the Gunners need to consider having fallen short in three successive campaigns.

Sesko could well have a similar impact; the young striker is yet to be overwhelmed by his rapid ascent and could well take to the rigours of the Premier League and Arteta’s style in no time at all.

But by signing the Slovenian, Arsenal are more than likely buying into another project, and it remains to be seen if fans would be happy to wait for him to fulfil that talent if it takes time for him to find his feet.

All being well, the 22-year-old could make himself Arsenal’s first-choice number nine for the next decade, something which may appeal to the club, having missed out on a similar talent in Alexander Isak back in 2022.

But Gyokeres could well prove the man for the here and now, not to mention his lower price tag, which may well allow Arsenal to strengthen in other key areas and equip Arteta with a squad finally able to get over the line in the league.

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