As somebody who can execute a slam dunk as simply as a close-range header, it’s no shock Benjamin Sesko has all the time reached for the celebs.
A proficient basketball participant who idolises fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic, an NBA star for the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers, 6ft 5in Sesko set his sights on taking Erling Haaland’s No 9 shirt from the second he joined Crimson Bull Salzburg in 2019.
Subsequent season, Sesko could also be making an attempt to beat the Manchester Metropolis ahead to the Premier League Golden Boot.
Arsenal consider the 22-year-old, who has trod the well-worn path up the Crimson Bull meals chain to sister membership Leipzig, is the participant to provide them the innovative they should carry the title.
Final season, the Gunners’ prime scorer within the league was Kai Havertz with 9 objectives – the primary time in 101 years that no Arsenal participant had hit double figures – and after accidents to Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Arteta usually used deep-lying midfielder Mikel Merino on the centre of the assault.
Merino fared higher than anticipated, scoring six occasions in 12 appearances up entrance together with the third within the euphoric Champions League quarter-final victory over Actual Madrid. However as talks progress on a deal price about £70million, and with a trophy drought stretching to 5 seasons as Arsenal’s objectives dried up within the second half of the season, Sesko can be anticipated to do much better.
As somebody who can execute a slam dunk as simply as a close-range header, it’s no shock Benjamin Sesko has all the time reached for the celebs
Sesko, at 6ft 5in, is famend for his athleticism and leap, which ought to assist him settle within the Premier League
Arsenal consider the 22-year-old, who has trod the well-worn path up the Crimson Bull meals chain to sister membership Leipzig, is the participant to provide them the innovative they should carry the title
Although he’s nonetheless in his formative footballing years, Sesko has been on the radar of the Premier League’s prime golf equipment for not less than 4 seasons. Certainly, Salzburg had some enjoyable on social media on the expense of Manchester United in 2022 on studying of their curiosity in Sesko, who was then 19. ‘We now need €1billion, Bruno Fernandes and Fred the Crimson for Sesko,’ they wrote in July 2022.
Oliver Durr Dehnhardt, head of soccer technique at scouting platform Eyeball, has adopted Sesko since he was taking part in within the youth ranks at top-flight aspect NK Domzale in his homeland. Dehnhardt believes Sesko has the uncooked supplies to achieve the Premier League however wants so as to add sophistication to his evident items.
‘Sesko has the potential to turn out to be among the finest and most full strikers within the recreation,’ Dehnhardt tells Mail Sport. ‘He’s tall, bodily dominant and glorious within the air. For his dimension, he exhibits nice acceleration and has a formidable prime pace. He can end powerfully with both foot. That makes him a invaluable asset for groups who assault in transition – much like Haaland when he was at Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund.’
However there’s a warning for Arsenal followers anticipating him to get near Haaland’s numbers in England. ‘Although he has a good technical package deal, he wants to enhance his link-up play,’ says Dehnhardt. ‘To achieve the subsequent degree, he wants extra stability to his recreation.
‘I’d have an interest to see how he would adapt to taking part in in a possession-based staff, the place house in assault is tighter. He must be taught to work throughout the entrance line and discover house in several pockets. It’s fairly much like the transition Haaland wanted to make when he moved from Dortmund to Manchester Metropolis.’
Although he doesn’t flip 23 till subsequent Could, there are few doubts about Sesko’s capability to change nations. He has achieved so already twice in his quick profession and can be aided now by his glorious English.
He has maybe ready for this transfer for a while, given Arsenal’s push to signal him final summer season – earlier than he determined they may not promise him sufficient recreation time with Havertz the first-choice No 9.
‘He’s precisely the kind of participant Arsenal want,’ provides Markus Fjortoft, a sports activities marketing consultant and host of the Fussball Channel. ‘He’s pure goalscorer, bodily and athletic however with loads of room for enchancment, which can permit Mikel Arteta and the teaching workers to make their mark.
Although he’s nonetheless in his formative footballing years, Sesko has been on the radar of the Premier League’s prime golf equipment for not less than 4 seasons
He doesn’t flip 23 till subsequent Could, however there are few doubts about Sesko’s capability to change nations
European soccer consultants consider Sesko nonetheless wants to enhance his link-up play
‘He isn’t the completed article and nonetheless must work on his ending and decision-making. He may even want a while to settle, however at Arsenal he has gamers round him that will make him higher.
‘If developed proper, he can turn out to be among the finest strikers on the planet over the subsequent decade, if not the very best.’
Coaches who despair on the period of time fashionable gamers spend on their gadgets would discover Sesko refreshing. Within the hours earlier than matches, Sesko switches off his telephone as a result of he believes extreme display screen time makes him drained. He prefers to learn books – factual relatively than fiction.
A sparky character who wears his coronary heart on his sleeve, Sesko is a well-liked member of the Leipzig squad and his ferocious table-tennis duels with Xavi Simons are the stuff of dressing-room legend.
When in his house, Sesko burns scented candles to assist him chill out, although this can not all the time douse his emotional streak. He was crying on the pitch in direction of the top of Slovenia’s recreation in opposition to Kazakhstan in November 2023, which sealed their place at Euro 2024, and has had the occasional run-in with membership officers.
‘My hardest second got here once I was taking part in at Salzburg,’ Sesko recalled final season, having needed to wait till his fourth season in Austria for a beginning function.
‘I ought to have been the first-choice striker there, and I voiced my opinion about one thing that did not go down properly. I used to be younger, in fact.
‘Then impulsively, I wasn’t even on the bench. I used to be watching from the stands. I needed to combat my manner again to even be within the squad after which to get within the first XI. You would say it was the worst second, however it made me a lot harder and taught me how you can act in such conditions. It was an excellent lesson.’
The ultra-physical, ultra-athletic Premier League will definitely be a take a look at of Sesko’s power and endurance
Subsequent season, Sesko could also be making an attempt to beat fellow Crimson Bull product Erling Haaland to the Premier League Golden Boot
A sparky character who wears his coronary heart on his sleeve, Sesko is a well-liked member of the Leipzig squad
Sesko’s path – Crimson Bull Salzburg to the Bundesliga – has drawn comparisons with Haaland’s however he has some strategy to journey to be as prolific because the Norwegian. He scored 13 occasions in 33 league video games final time period, 14 in 31 the 12 months earlier than.
But whereas Haaland generally struggles in tandem with one other ahead, Sesko has dovetailed impressively with Belgian star Lois Openda at Leipzig.
The ultra-physical, ultra-athletic Premier League will surely be a take a look at of Sesko’s power and endurance.
‘He’s sturdy, good within the air and has a formidable eye for objective however he can go lacking in video games,’ says Berlin-based Bundesliga knowledgeable Mark Meadows.
‘That was actually a consider Leipzig failing to qualify for Europe for the primary time as a Bundesliga membership.
‘Regardless that he has a popularity for having a brief fuse, his solely yellow playing cards this season got here in the identical match, after they misplaced 2-1 at Stuttgart in January.’
After amassing a league-high six purple playing cards in 2024-25, Arsenal will definitely hope they’ll train Sesko, who’s impressed by the equally athletic Sweden nice Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to maintain calm on the pitch.
‘Zlatan remains to be my favorite participant,’ Sesko has stated. ‘The magic he might do, at his dimension, was unbelievable to observe. I like his character too – although it’s not the identical as mine.’
Sesko has dovetailed excellently together with his Leipzig strike associate, the Belgian Lois Openda
Arsenal will definitely hope they’ll train Sesko, who’s impressed by the equally athletic Sweden nice Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to maintain calm on the pitch
Luka Doncic, a fellow Slovenian now starring for the Los Angeles Lakers within the NBA, is Sesko’s sporting idol
Sesko’s most popular shirt quantity is 30, which he has worn since his Salzburg days. Handily, the jersey is free at Arsenal after Raheem Sterling returned to Chelsea on the finish of his unsuccessful mortgage spell in north London.
Sesko is as well-known on-line for his celebration as for his objectives – a leap for pleasure that will surely impress his idol Doncic, who has an additional inch in top on Sesko and needed to stop his beloved soccer as a result of he was too tall (he made up for it by starring for Actual Madrid’s basketball staff earlier than being drafted into the NBA).
‘Individuals can see how excessive I can leap,’ Sesko admits. ‘Generally it’s increased or decrease, relying on how a lot I’ve run earlier than or if I’m drained or not, however I can leap actually excessive. It feels wonderful.’
Now Arsenal followers hope Sesko will assist them clear the ultimate hurdle.
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