As PSG celebrated winning the Champions League on Saturday evening, Arsenal fans were longingly contemplating whether that would have been them had they signed a striker last summer or even over the winter.
The Gunners swept aside Real Madrid with absolute ease but came unstuck against the might of PSG, although they certainly were not disgraced in the semi-final stages.
That said, you’re not going to get very far if Mikel Merino is your striker in the semi-finals of a major European competition (sorry Mikel).
The Spaniard certainly did a good job as an emergency centre-forward, scoring six goals in 12 appearances in that position, but that cannot continue heading into 2025/26.
The latest on Arsenal's pursuit of a new striker
Andrea Berta came into this summer window needing to tick one box: sign a new striker.
Indeed, after the failed attempts of the last few windows, it’s an absolute necessity if the Gunners are going to challenge for major honours next term.
So, who are their options? Well, Benjamin Sesko appears to be the number one pick at the moment, with Fabrizio Romano revealing last week that initial talks have now started over a move to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal looked at Sesko last summer but the Slovenian decided to sign a new contract with RB Leipzig but a year later he is now set to be on the move.
If a move falls through for a second successive summer, then Berta does have an alternative up his sleeve. That’s according to reports on the continent.
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They suggest that while talks for Sesko have indeed started, there is no agreement on personal terms yet.
As a result, Arsenal’s ‘objective is to make progress on several fronts simultaneously’ so that they are not left empty-handed for another transfer window.
The alternative is Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres. The report notes that the Swedish striker has ‘already given his verbal agreement’ to join the north Londoners this summer.
While Sesko is expected to cost around £70m this summer according to Sky Sports, Gyokeres is likely to cost £67m.
How Sesko compares to Gyokeres
Alexander Isak is allegedly still Mikel Arteta’s dream target this summer but with Newcastle United having secured Champions League qualification, attaining the Swede’s signature is nigh on impossible.
As a result, their striker chase likely boils down to both Sesko and Gyokeres now, but who would be the better signing?
Well, if the club are looking for more of a project striker then the Leipzig star would be their man. Indeed, by signing Sesko, the Gunners would be gambling on his potential but he certainly has all of the raw ingredients to be a huge success in the future.
Here, they must take influence from Newcastle’s pursuit of Isak, or to use a more recent reference point, PSG’s transfer strategy. Buy the player before they’re a superstar, much in the way the Parisians have done with players like Desire Doue, Vitinha and Bradley Barcola. Now, they are three of the very best players in the world.
Here’s what Arsenal could achieve with Sesko’s signing. He’s not a plug-and-play forward just yet, scoring 21 times this term, but he ticks a lot of boxes.
Described as the “new Erling Haaland” by scout Jacek Kulig, he’s got pace, he’s got an incredibly powerful shot, he can find the net, and standing at 6 foot 5, he’s got a ridiculous leap on him. There is so much to like about the 22-year-old.
Goals
13
39
Expected Goals (xG)
9.89
30.95
Big chances missed
10
23
Assists
5
10
Successful dribbles *
1.2
1.8
Ground duels won *
2.0
4.4
Aerial duels won *
2.1
1.1
Gyokeres, on the other hand, is certainly the win-now option. He’s the most lethal centre-forward in Europe, scoring a mind-boggling 54 goals in 52 games this season. At the age of 26, he’s reaching his prime and he knows his game inside out.
Considering Arsenal need a goalscorer, they’d be silly to turn down someone of his calibre in front of goal. Described as a “ball-striking monster” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, there simply isn’t a better option on the market right now if you’re looking for out-and-out goals.
For those who doubt the quality of opposition in the Portuguese top-flight, he also scored six in eight Champions League ties, which included a hat-trick against Manchester City.
It could be vital as well that he’s already got experience of English football. He came through the ranks at Brighton and then dazzled at Coventry City, netting 22 times in 50 outings during his final campaign in the Midlands.
Since then, he’s only gone from strength to strength. No player has scored more than Gyokeres in the top ten leagues worldwide this calendar year.
On that evidence, he’d be a seriously exciting signing. Whether he’d be better than Sesko, however, we may never know.
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