Arsenal Transfer News Today: Sesko RESPONDS, Isak SHOCK, Edu HAUNTS Arteta

Tom Weber

Updated: 17 Jan 2025 19:34 GMT
4 min read

Benjamin Sesko, RB Leipzig, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Arsenal are firmly focused on the striker market for the final two weeks of the January window.

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After making significant progress in talks with dream midfield target Martin Zubimendi, with FootballTransfers exclusively revealing an agreement on wages, the Gunners will now step up their pursuit of an attacker to compensate for the injuries of Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka.

Indeed, as transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has already stated, Arsenal have made several enquiries in recent days to understand the situations of top strikers around Europe.

Exclusive: Forest eye Oulad M'Hand

Before talking about incoming strikers, FootballTransfers can reveal that former Arsenal sporting director Edu is coming back to haunt the Gunners in his new role in Evangelos Marinakis' footballing empire.

The former recruitment chief has recommended Arsenal youngster Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand to Nottingham Forest. The 21-year-old is out of contract in the summer and the north London club are keen to extend his deal.

However, we understand that Ouland M'Hand could be tempted to make the move to the high-flying Premier League surprise package.

Sesko agent responds

In light of Arsenal's striker search, rumours have proliferated and the name of Benjamin Sesko has repeatedly cropped up. FootballTransfers revealed in December that the RB Leipzig star remains the Gunners' top target despite snubbing them in the summer.

In recent days, one persistent rumour linked Sesko with a January loan move to Arsenal, but his agent Elvis Basanovic has emphatically rubbished these reports.

“I don’t know where this story has come from but I have never talked with Arsenal about a loan move for Sesko,” he told GIVEMESPORT.

“Sesko is not a player for loans and this was never a topic with Arsenal or any other club. If you ask me if Sesko will move in January, I can only say Sesko is an RB Leipzig player and fully focused on that.”

RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose has since also claimed that a potential winter departure of the Slovenian is 'not a topic' at Leipzig.

Man Utd push for Gyokeres

Another striker who features prominently on Arsenal's shortlist is Sporting CP sharpshooter Viktor Gyokeres. However, the Swede will only be available in the summer and it seems that the Gunners won't be at the front of the queue for him.

The Independent claims that Gyokeres is eager to work with Ruben Amorim again, giving Man Utd an edge in the race to sign him. The Red Devils are 'hopeful' of securing his signature and pushing for him.

New Isak price

Mikel Arteta is known to be infatuated with Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, but the Magpies have no intention of losing their talismanic forward.

Ahead of January, it was reported that Newcastle had slapped a whopping €180m price tag on his head to fend off any interest, but Sky Sports’ Pete Graves has told The Transfers Podcast that it would likely require well in excess of €220m-€230m to even make the Magpies consider a sale.

This means that a move to Arsenal - or in fact anywhere - is out of the question in January. Unless Newcastle soften their stance in the summer, Isak won't be leaving St. James' Park this year.