New Red Bull global head of soccer Jurgen Klopp is being tipped to play an important role in Arsenal potentially landing a top striker target in 2025.
The north London outfit made a big play to bring in a new No.9 during the summer transfer window but ultimately fell short in their pursuit of a number of targets.
One of the top names they were chasing was RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who they are known to have made a major play to add to Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, Sesko decided that he wanted to stay in the Bundesliga for one more year at least, emulating the patience that Erling Haaland showed at Borussia Dortmund before eventually heading to Manchester City.
In the end, it appears that the Gunners were not that desperate to get a new striker through the door and may have well have just settled on waiting for Sesko to become available instead.
And, according to a new report from TBR Football, Klopp is now set to play a key role in shaping Sesko’s future.
They state that the Liverpool legend will immediately be tasked with handling a tricky situation at Leipzig in which the club do not want to lose both of their star strikers in 2025.
As a result, Klopp is unlikely to sanction the sales of both Sesko and Lois Openda next summer but he will have the final decision on which one is sold.
Arsenal not the only club in Sesko signing mix
The Slovenian international’s decision to stay put over the summer also pocketed him a new five-year contract at Leipzig, leaving the Bundesliga outfit in a very strong position if they do decide to sell.
However, Arsenal are not the only club in the mix for his signature, with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United also long-term admirers, while Manchester City have scouted the player in the past.
European big-hitters Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are also in the mix for the talented 21-year-old, who has scored 24 goals in 51 games for Leipzig since signing from RB Salzburg for €24million in the summer of 2023.
Sesko has also impressed on the international stage, notching 15 times in 37 caps for Slovenia and recently scored his first international hat-trick in a 3–0 victory over Kazakhstan.
Standing at 6ft 5in, he would give Arsenal a strong focal point to their attack but is also rapid – having been clocked as the fastest player at Euro 2024 over the summer.
Should the Gunners decide to ramp up their pursuit of the player in 2025, it now appears that Klopp will have a major part to play on where the striker end up plying his trade next.
Latest Arsenal transfer news
Santiago Castro is the latest Serie A star to be linked with a big move to the Premier League, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Aston Villa all reportedly in the mix to sign him.
According to CaughtOffside, the Gunners, Chelsea and Villa are among the fix English sides who have scouted Castro recently, with those officials returning glowing reports.
Meanwhile, Thomas Partey’s contract with Arsenal is set to expire at the end of the season and Barcelona are reportedly in the race to sign him on a free transfer.
The Ghanaian international has played a major role in the Gunners’ rise under Mikel Arteta and remains a key player for the side, starting all of their Premier League matches so far this term.
But despite his importance to Arsenal, sources have told TEAMtalk that Partey is unlikely to be offered an extension on his current £200,000 per week deal and that has sparked Barca’s interest.
IN FOCUS – A profile of Benjamin Sesko
Sesko first started to make headlines when he scored 59 goals in 23 games in the Under-15 set-up at Slovenian side Krsko.
He moved to Austria at the age of 16 and signed for Red Bull Salzburg in a deal worth €2.5million.
The striker immediately joined Salzburg’s partner club, FC Liefering, on loan for two seasons. He scored just one goal in his debut season before netting 21 goals in the 2020/21 season.
Sesko returned to Salzburg and scored 29 goals over the following two seasons, helping the club win the Austrian Cup and two Austrian Bundesliga titles.
The 21-year-old completed a €24million move to RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 and finished his debut season in Germany with 18 goals across all competitions.
He also became the youngest ever player to score in seven consecutive Bundesliga games at the age of 20 years and 353 days.
In addition to his club form, the Slovenia international has 15 goals in 35 caps for his country and won their Footballer of the Year award in 2022.
He is the youngest player and the youngest goalscorer in Slovenia’s history, having scored his first goal for the country against Malta in October 2021 at the age of 18 years, four months and eight days.
Sesko idolises Erling Haaland and has also been compared to the Manchester City forward due to his physicality, impressive technique and electrifying pace.
He stands at 6ft 4in, while only six Bundesliga strikers recorded a faster running speed than Sesko’s 35.47kmph in the 2023/24 season.
“Such comparisons motivate me and give me energy,” Sesko said when asked about Haaland. “They do not represent pressure. I will listen and learn so I can be even better than he is.
“My teammates at the club tell me that Haaland and I are very similar, especially in terms of speed. Most of them even tell me that I’m better than him.”
