Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal transfer twist after £69m breakthrough as Benjamin Sesko truth clear

Arsenal finally look to have made a striker transfer decision with talks for Viktor Gyokeres ramping up in the last few hours. Following the arrival of Andrea Berta in March, the Sporting CP star looked to be the favoured addition, but just a few months later that seemed to become Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig.

The Gunners tried to sign him last year; however, he chose to remain in Germany and sign a new contract. That decision saw his release clause increase, but interest from north London was still present 12 months on.

Though talks had been progressing, there remained a disagreement over his asking price and the potential payment structure. In the meantime, Gyokeres had a very public falling out with Sporting regarding a gentlemen's agreement his camp believed was in place.

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With negotiations for Sesko stalling and the Gyokeres saga becoming rather dramatic, Arsenal's focus went elsewhere. Deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard were wrapped up quickly, with Arsenal spending roughly £75million.

Kepa was confirmed as the club's first summer arrival earlier this week, with Zubimendi following suit on Sunday, and an announcement for Norgaard is likely to come next week. Discussions with Valencia for Cristhian Mosquera have also been ongoing, and a second bid is expected imminently.

Berta has also been very busy regarding attacking targets, with Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze emerging as a serious option. Since then, the Gunners have agreed personal terms for Noni Madueke of Chelsea, with an opening offer set to come soon.

With many deals in place, Arsenal now look to again be focused on the signing of a No. 9, with advanced talks for Gyokeres taking place and an agreement on personal terms sealed.

Sporting have made it clear they will not accept anything below £60million (€70m) with it seemingly more likely that £69m (€80m) will be enough. That is also near enough to Sesko's asking price, but the two have very different monetary values, according toCIES Football Observatory.

As of June 30, 2025, they valued Sesko between £81.1m and 105.2m (€94m and €122m), while Gyokeres came in between £51m and £68m (€60m and €79m). Based on that, Arsenal would be hugely overpaying for Gyokeres while getting Sesko at a bit of a steal.

Age and domestic league competition likely play a significant role in those valuations, as Gyokeres' goal record is far superior to Sesko's but then he is five years older.

With this decision, it is clear Arsenal feel as though they need the finished article now as opposed to waiting a few years for a striker that likely has a higher ceiling. Time will tell if it is the right call, but frustration is growing after three consecutive second-place finishes, and therefore it makes sense why they have taken this route.