Arsenal have been extremely quiet this transfer window, with the Gunners yet to add any additions to Mikel Arteta’s squad. Behind the scenes, though, plenty of work has been done.
“If we can get the right player, that’s what we are actively looking at, but any player – no, we need someone that makes us better and makes an impact on the team,” Arteta said last month when asked about potential targets.
“We have very, very short numbers for many, many weeks and they recognise the situation, we all do. That’s why we are trying to do what is right for the club, the team, that’s our intention.”
Many pundits and supporters believed Arsenal would look to buy a striker this winter, especially with Gabriel Jesus suffering yet another knee injury. Ollie Watkins was identified as a target but Aston Villa rebuffed a bid from the north Londoners, while Alexander Isak would likely cost north of £100million.
It’s possible, though, that Arsenal have already agreed to sign a striker, with the player making the move to Emirates Stadium in the summer instead. Benjamin Sesko is highly admired by the Gunners, football.london understands, and was tracked extensively in the build up to Euro 2024.
football.london understands that the interest in Sesko has not evaporated after the failed summer interest and Arsenal have watched the forward closely. The forward has 14 goals and three assists in 29 appearances for RB Leipzig this season and at the age of 21 has the potential to improve.
There is an understanding that Sesko could leave Leipzig in the summer despite signing a new deal with the German side in June last year, with it being described as a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ without a specific written clause. With Arsenal’s interest still genuine, it’s possible the club may have already struck a deal.
Another player who Arsenal have already made progress with is Martin Zubimendi. football.london understands that work is in place to help bring the Real Sociedad midfielder to the club in the summer.
There is a €60million (£51million) release clause in the Spain international’s contract that has existed for some time but even then, the likes of Liverpool have failed to entice the player away from the club he has developed and grown at in San Sebastian. With both Thomas Partey and Jorginho expected to move on in the summer, it was vital that the club sign another defensive midfielder and the bottom line is Zubimendi is arguably the best on the market.
While a deal has yet to be officially announced, it may well be that an agreement is already in place between both clubs and the player, which would be a huge boost given Zubimendi’s quality. So, with a deal for Sesko potentially in the works as well, it may well mean that Arsenal have already agreed two huge transfer deals for the summer.
With just a handful of hours left of the January window, it remains to be seen if Arsenal manage to get any new signings through the door. If they do not manage to complete any deals before the 11pm deadline, all eyes will firmly be on the summer.
