Arsenal column: What’s holding up Benjamin Sesko transfer, fantastic signing expected to be done, & more

Benjamin Sesko signs are positive, but it’s not done yet

Another week has gone by and we are still not yet at a stage where Arsenal have agreed a deal for Benjamin Sesko, but things are clearly starting to move forward.

For the first time since the end of the season we’ve seen a decisive swing in terms of the direction Arsenal’s striker pursuit is heading down, with Sesko now the priority target.

Talks with RB Leipzig continue and the hope is they will soon come to a successful conclusion, although as yet there has been no agreement over a potential fee for the 22-year-old.

The relationship between Arsenal and Leipzig is good, however, and you would think that will pay off at some point during these negotiations if some sort of compromise needs to be reached.

The fact is that both want these discussions to conclude as quickly as possible so they have clarity over the situation (more from Mark Brus on that here). Neither club will benefit from the talks dragging on deep into the summer, as we’ve not seen with suggestions that clubs in Saudi Arabia are now looking at Sesko.

So we’ll see what the next few days will bring. The signs right now are positive, but there is still a fair way to go yet until we can say for sure that Arsenal have got their man.

If the deal does end up being done then it will certainly be an exciting signing.

I’ve said before that out of the two main targets I think I would have just about sided with Viktor Gyokeres, but it was pretty much a toss of the coin when trying to decide between the two.

Both come with their risks. There seems to be this theory that Gyokeres is the more likely to be a hit at Arsenal, but I don’t really see that argument.

He’s older, yes. But he’s not really more experienced, certainly not at the highest level anyway. He is far from a guarantee, despite his incredible scoring record during his time in Portugal.

Sesko will be a smart signing. Whenever you talk to people in and around football they speak very highly of him and what he could become.

The tools are there for him to go to an extremely high level over the next few years so if it is Sesko who ultimately arrives, I would absolutely understand the club’s position.

When you are investing anything up to £100 million in a striker when you factor in wages, you have to be thinking for the long-term and Sesko is certainly a long-term option.

He will have plenty of pressure on him given the intense spotlight that he will have to play under and that’s something he will have to deal with.

But Arsenal put a lot of emphasis into the character and personality of any player they look to sign and I’m sure they will be confident that Sesko will be able to handle the pressure that will come his way.

Kepa transfer looks like superb business + why Garcia didn’t work out

I think the Kepa deal is a fantastic one if it gets done, which it appears it will.

Arsenal have acted really quickly after it became clear that Joan Garcia would not be arriving from Espanyol this summer and have all but wrapped up a really smart piece of business.

Landing a keeper like Kepa for just £5 million is an absolute steal. I’m honestly baffled at how there seems to be some who are questioning it.

I can only think the issue for some is that it will be another signing from Chelsea. I can understand that in a way given what has gone on in the past, but when you put that to one side and just take this deal for what it is then there is nothing to complain about.

You are talking about a keeper approaching his best years who has plenty of experience and is a senior international. He had a very good season on loan at Bournemouth last season and the season before he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League while he was there.

Yes, he had some high profile issues when he first arrived at Chelsea. The world record transfer fee clearly was a weight on his shoulders that he struggled to deal with.

But those days are behind him. He’s shown himself to be a fine goalkeeper at this level.

And remember, he’s coming in as a No.2. Providing Raya stays fit, then Kepa will only play a handful of games.

It’s just a really good deal at an exceptional price. And the fact it looks like it will be wrapped up early in the summer is a real positive.

We all know that Garcia was the keeper Arsenal really wanted, but the season he just had at Espanyol basically made that an impossible deal to do this summer.

He was never going to come to be Raya’s No.2. His remarkable progress during the past 12 months ended Arsenal’s hopes of getting him.

So they had to move on to other targets and in moving so quickly for Kepa and taking advantage of that release clause they have shown a lot of nous in the market.

Morgan Rogers is a top talent, but I can’t see how he’d fit in at Arsenal

The Morgan Rogers links have been interesting because there’s no doubt he’s an exceptional player.

Arsenal saw that first hand last season, especially in the game at Villa Park at the start of the campaign when he gave them all sorts of problems.

The expectation is that Aston Villa might have some PSR difficulties that they will have to navigate this summer having failed to qualify for the Champions league and it could be that they are forced into a sale of a player they would ideally not want to let go.

Rogers is one of those players who has been mentioned as a potential departure and that’s no surprise given the way he has developed since moving from Middlesbrough.

When it comes to Arsenal, I think he would be a welcome addition should they interest firm up into anything more concrete.

The one issue I have with a potential move, however, is I’m not sure exactly where he fits in this team and system under Mikel Arteta.

I’m sure they would find a way to fit in him, but it feels a bit like a square peg in a round hole.

I don’t really see him as a left winger. I think he’s better in a central area where he can drive into the box and support the striker, or even be the striker himself.

Right now Arsenal have Declan Rice in that role and I certainly don’t see him losing his place.

So I’m just not really sure Rogers fits what Arsenal really need this summer.

A winger should be the priority for me and I think it will be, which is why there is strong interest in the likes of Rodrygo and Nico Williams.

If Arsenal were going to try and raid Villa for anyone this summer, I think the more likely option would be they return for Ollie Watkins, a player we know they tried to sign just a few months ago.

Matteo Tognozzi has unearthed some gems and should be a great addition alongside Andrea Berta

I have to admit I knew next to nothing about Matteo Tognozzi until just a few days ago. He’s not someone who has really popped up on my radar before.

But having delved a little deeper into his background since reports emerged that Andre Berta is looking to add him to his recruitment team at Arsenal I’m pretty excited about what he could bring to Arsenal, should a deal be agreed – which is looking likely.

Nothing has been signed yet, but the signs are pointing towards an agreement which will be a big coup for Arsenal and Andrea Berta, because Juventus had been looking at Tognozzi as a potential new sporting director.

I’ve spoken to people around the Juventus bubble and they can’t speak highly enough about him and his ability to spot a good young player.

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He is credited with a lot of the better transfer business they have done in recent years, including the deals that saw talents such as Dean Huijsen and Kenan Yildiz arrive.

So it looks like being a good addition to the recruitment team at Arsenal and is a clear sign that Andrea Berta is now starting to put his stamp on the club following his arrival as sporting director.

I don’t think this will be the last addition either. I think we will see more follow Tognozzi to Arsenal as Berta builds up his own network