Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres were the two strikers Arsenal had placed at the top of their shortlist in the summer transfer window, with the Gunners engaging in negotiations for both forwards. In the summer of 2024, Arsenal were particularly keen to secure Sesko following his impressive debut season at RB Leipzig. However, the player felt that a move to the Emirates came too soon in his career, and he declined the opportunity.
As a result, Arsenal did not add a new striker that summer, but they continued to monitor Sesko’s progress closely. Their interest was reignited in the most recent window, yet circumstances shifted, and the club ultimately opted to pursue Gyokeres instead.
Arsenal’s Transfer Decision
Both Sesko and Gyokeres remained highly rated by the Arsenal hierarchy, yet financial considerations and value in the market played a significant role in the final decision. Gyokeres emerged as the more viable option, leading to his acquisition. His impact was immediate, with the Swedish forward scoring twice in his most recent outing for the Gunners, underlining why the club committed to his signing.
Sesko, meanwhile, has endured a more challenging spell. His recent performance in domestic competition has come under scrutiny, particularly after Manchester United were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by fourth-tier Grimsby Town, a match in which Sesko was unable to make a meaningful contribution.
Supporters’ Reflections on Sesko
As cited by The Sun, this has prompted many Arsenal supporters to feel a sense of relief that their club chose not to pursue the Slovenian forward more aggressively. The perception is that the decision to move for Gyokeres has been vindicated by his immediate productivity, whereas Sesko continues to find consistency elusive.
However, it remains impossible to determine with certainty whether Sesko would have enjoyed greater success had he joined Arsenal. The two clubs involved are currently at different stages of development, and their contrasting trajectories make such comparisons speculative at best. What is clear, though, is that Arsenal’s decision to back Gyokeres has strengthened their attacking line at a crucial time, giving them the forward presence they had been seeking for more than a year.
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I hope, and think, Arsenal has signed a very good striker in Gyokeres – a player it was pretty obvious (as the article says) we were missing for some time.
However, after all of TWO games of the new season, it’s a little daft to start making assertions as to whether Gyokeres or Sesko is the better buy. I suspect both will prove to be good buys for their respective clubs over the course of the season, but I’m happy we have Gyokeres.
Still early days but me too believe Arsenal has gotten the best deal existed out there.
But the Kroenke’s must be given full credit in waiting almost a year before getting their man.
No more are players being bought off impulse, armchair managers would argue we should have bought a striker in January, but they failed to see the big picture.
They are an abundance of factors why buying a striker in January wasn’t ideal.
1) Striker needs time to integrate
2) The availability of the ideal player
3) New striker may not hit the road running
4) A new striker in January could disrupt team chemistry
(Remember when Haaland join the Citizens, he was scoring but the team suddenly stop winning)
5 ) Last but not least, had Arsenal went ahead and brought in a striker that did not hit the road running, no guarantee Berta would have come on board
I remember that there were posts here on JA back then complaining that all the attention was on “striker, striker, striker” and saying that we didn’t need one. Do you remember that?
As it happened, we could have done with one, regardless of all the supposed “reasons” why not.
As for Berta, I strongly doubt his decision to join Arsenal was down to whether a striker had already been purchased or not. That’s daft, isn’t it.
The decision not to spend in January was a strategic one, personally I didn’t see that urgent need to gamble on a new big shinny toy that may or may not work.
Had Arsenal went a head and spend half of the reported £300 mil war chest on players that not fits our style of play, then suddenly Arsenal Sporting director job becomes less attractive and more difficult
But Arsenal ARE gambling on a “big shinny toy that may or may not work”. The same with Sesko at Utd and everyone else. All transfers are a gamble to one extent or another, whether they’re bought in the summer or the winter windows.
Also, where does half of £300m come from? We’re talking about one striker – the likes of Gyokeres or Sesko weren’t that amount combined!
I don’t know, and neither do you despite what you say, the factors which played a part in Berta’s decision to join Arsenal as SD but I’d say again that it is unlikely it would come down to the club having made any particular signing previously. I imagine he’d look at the whole picture, the club’s direction of travel etc. not whether “player x” was, or wasn’t, there.
We could have loaned a striker in January.
Which one?
Personally, Gyökeres seems to be the better (and cheaper!) buy, as he seems to have fitted better into Arsenal than Sesko at Utd. However, two games (or 3 for Sesko) isn’t enough as a whole to determine who is better as we’ve got another 36 games to go!
After his display in the Carabao cup, just cannot believe what Mikel saw in him and persisted for a year. What a relief we have Berta, a seasoned administrator and not a novice or a “yes man” of the manager. Had it not been for Berta we would have had this nightmare of having another flop to watch every week. Cunha is the saving face of Utd at the moment.
Why are you saying that Arteta wanted Sesko above Gyokeres?
As far as I am aware, our manager didn’t place them in any order of preference and, rather, seemed more intent on sounding out the Newcastle lad who’s now on strike.
Who are the other “flops” your forced to watch play every week?
Ken Arsenal without Edu or Bertha, wanted to sign Sesko at Xmas and LUCKILY his club would not let him go. Arteta wanted Sesko earlier and Bertha was scouting Gyokores for AM. At the end of the day whichever striker Arteta wanted is of no importance now. Our director of football or whatever his title is has made the call and got Gyokores. Thats his job and Gyokores was easier to sign than Sesko.
Only time has a chance to tell and while you can agree or disagree with the decision, there’s not nearly enough evidence to provide clear hindsight judgment. The parties actually involved I’m sure are aware that they may very well be held accountable to the extent the decision is determined to have been poor.
For me it’s far to early in the season to judge either to be fair. Look again after 15 or 20 games, and we’ll have a better idea. 👍
Or you could look at the Carabao Cup game against Grimsby =)
TJ,
That’s one game. Can’t a player have a total off day. He can’t be judged on that surely.
But one thing I will say, the fact he was the tenth player to take a penalty the other night was strange to say the least.
If I signed a striker and he was reluctant to take a penalty, I’d be asking him some serious questions. As a striker it’s a free shot at goal unopposed. Mental strength would come into my mind if that happened with an Arsenal player.
👍Good catch Derek on the order of penalty takers. Perhaps he was in fact having a totally off day and Amorim felt he was less ready than any player on the pitch to take a penalty other than Onana. My thought that this could also be another instance of Amorim being very much a disciplinarian and was a way of showing Sesko his displeasure with the performance. In any case, it was definitely an odd thing to see even though I concede that Amorim may have had a conceivably good reason behind it.
Yet your advocating sacking MA if we don’t win the PL, without knowing what will happen in between!!
Yet your advocating sacking MA if we don’t win the PL, without knowing what will happen in between!! That was for Derek.
Ken1945,
What has what I’ve said about Sesko got anything to do with my thoughts on Arteta?. 🤷♂️
Yes agreed with most of you who say it is too early to tell but the signs so far show we made the right decision.
And it’s not only VG and Sesko, let’s not forget players like Delap…