Arsenal’s pursuit of Benjamin Sesko points to one of two strategic directions: either Kai Havertz will continue to lead the line, or the club still plan to bring in another forward, possibly a left winger with a strong goal threat.
This matters because a lack of clinical finishing has undoubtedly cost Arsenal valuable points last season. With a consistent goal scorer, several of the Gunners’ draws last season could easily have turned into wins. The need for a more ruthless presence in front of goal has become impossible to ignore.
Arsenal’s need for a reliable finisher
Benjamin Sesko is a forward with clear potential. Arsenal appear committed to securing his signature, with Sporting Director Andrea Berta reportedly working hard to finalise the deal. However, while the Slovenian striker has promise, his goal-scoring record suggests he may still need time to hit the prolific levels fans are demanding.
Sesko’s goal totals in recent seasons:
2024/25 – 21 goals
2023/24 – 18 goals
2022/23 – 18 goals
2021/22 – 11 goals
He has never scored more than 21 goals in a single campaign, which means patience will be key. But with Arsenal’s attacking frustrations mounting, the fanbase is understandably short on patience.
Risk versus reward in the transfer market
The pressure will be high. The Premier League is unforgiving, and recent examples such as Rasmus Højlund at Manchester United show what can happen when a young striker is thrust into the spotlight too soon.
While the move for Sesko could prove wise in the long term, it would be risky to rely solely on him to lead a title charge. Some supporters fear that Arsenal may be repeating past mistakes by expecting immediate results from an emerging talent.
To mitigate that risk, Arsenal may need to bring in another attacker, a top-class winger who, like Bukayo Saka, has the ability to decide games on their own. Otherwise, they will be depending heavily on Kai Havertz to rediscover his goalscoring touch.
The question remains: can Arsenal afford to wait for Sesko to find his feet, or should they be more ambitious in the market this summer?
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He’s only 22 and expected to potentially lead the line and score 20+ goals in a must-win season. I hope, if we get him, he comes good, but if he takes too long to adjust, I don’t like how the season looks. We need a killer winger who scores on the left.
The noise is getting louder on this unproven kid, but I must admit his ceiling is so high, it may very well worth the gamble
We’ve made havertz and merino look half decent strikers so I’ve got 0 doubt about sesko. The kids got a rocket in both feet and he’s great in the air. Think its a really exciting signing if we pull it off
I don’t want him and I doubt he will score up to 20 league goals for us.
We cannot win the league without a striker who would score 20 league goals in a season.
I just pray Sesko proves me wrong and deliver 20 goals in the league.
Above all things I want Arsenal to succeed and win trophies.
Sesko can get behind defenders, has the size for hold up play, offers all around tools of a striker.
He will improve us, but it will take several years and consistency to see his best.
We will see improvement next year with Sesko, but the future dividends are the real payout.
In a word, yes.Sesko is a terrific young player who will set the Premier League alight.I only hope we can conclude a deal with Leipiz shortly.
I feel like we should be asking whether Sesko will improve us and it’s a yes for me. Rather than looking at Sesko alone, we should be looking at our attack as a group. When we talk about our defense, we don’t ask, will Saliba stop all the goals? It’s about the group dynamic.
It’s not only about how many the centre forward can score. If he scores 30 and the other forwards score less than 30 combined, it won’t matter. It won’t be enough. We should broaden the discussion to include the entire group. Can Sesko help Saka get 15 -20 goals? Can he help Martinelli, Trossard, Odegaard or the new winger get 10+ goals. Can Havertz get 15+ ? Can he help Rice and Merino maintain or improve on their numbers.
If for instance, we ended up with a group consisting of Sesko, Havertz, Saka, Rodrygo, Nwaneri, Martinelli and Trossard, I’d say that is a solid group with lots of goals in it. There’ll be at least a couple of them waiting on the bench to change a game for us. There’d also be more rotation I hope.
Well said Onyango.In addition to the group of forwards you mention, we musn’t forget Jesus who will not be sellable until he has fully recovered from injury.With regard to Havertz, it will be interesting to see how he is used by Arteta next season.Could he provide real competition to Odegaard as our main AM?
Yeah I think Haverts will help in that (right 8/10) position, his eye for a goal & height will help against low blocks .. more height in the box for crosses will give head ache to a lot of opponents (good variation)
Yea I forgot about Jesus. That is a well balanced group. I think the usage of Rice and Zubimendi will impact how Odegaard or Havertz are used. We could go back to a double pivot and this would allow for a more traditional number 10.
I like how you view this game . it’s all about attacking cohesion really .the need for a well all rounded striker (sesko) will definitely open spaces for other attackers to improve their numbers
I do agree with your vision and agree that sort of striker would be great – I’m just not convinced sesko would bring everything together in that way, no better than Havertz currently does, anyway. Someone like Alvarez would do that, I think. I also wonder if the kind of runs that gyokeres makes would bring more goals for others besides himself. Would those wide runs provide more central opportunities for martinelli, saka, odegaard and rice? Quite possibly yes, if they have the licence/awareness to make use of it.
I do think that it gets forgotten that it’s not just about what players do with the ball that matters for team cohesion – far from it, actually.
Šeško has the potential to provide balance to Arsenal’s attack. Also, has potentially higher ceiling than either Gyokeres or Havertz.
Ok, thanks
I don’t understand the noise about Sesko,Arsenal need some one who is already proven and can carry the team,not this kind of Kid.I would rather go for Gyokeres who is ready made and has the pedigree of winning titles