Odegaard will love him: Berta in talks to sign £75m "monster" for Arsenal

And just like that, Arsenal’s season has come to an underwhelming end.

Mikel Arteta’s side might have made it to their first Champions League semi-final since the 08/09 campaign, but on the domestic front, it’s been a disappointing year.

An astounding 14 draws in the Premier League ensured they finished a distant second to Liverpool, and were it not for a brilliant strike from Martin Odegaard late on yesterday afternoon, it would’ve been 15 draws.

With that said, it’s not been a good season for the Gunners’ captain either, although based on the star recently liked with the club, 25/26 could be a whole lot better.

Arsenal transfer news

With the rumour mill now in full swing, Arsenal have been linked with a host of incredibly talented footballers in recent weeks, such as Rafael Leao and Ademola Lookman.

The former could cost an eye-watering £145m this summer, but as he’s racked up a brilliant haul of 12 goals and 13 assists in 50 appearances for a lacklustre AC Milan side this season, he may just be worth it.

Lookman, on the other hand, could cost a far more reasonable fee of around £55m, and as he’s managed to find the back of the net 20 times in 40 games and provided seven assists for good measure, he may be too good of a deal to pass up on.

However, to really help Odegaard get back to his incredible best, Arteta and Co need to improve the club’s striker options, which is where Benjamin Sesko comes in.

According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal remain incredibly interested in the RB Leipzig striker ahead of the summer window.

In fact, Plettenberg has revealed that the Gunners’ new Sporting Director, Andrea Berta, has been in “direct contact” with his opposite number at the German club and that the club “have to sell Sesko in order to generate income.”

The report does not mention a potential price, but according to stories from earlier this month, the Slovenian’s release clause may now stand at about £75m due to his impressive performances this season.

It would be a costly transfer to get over the line, but given Sesko’s ability today and future potential, it is one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a dream for Odegaard.

Why Sesko would be perfect for Odegaard

Despite finishing second in the league, not a single Arsenal player hit double figures for goals in the competition, so it’s abundantly clear that a more prolific centre-forward could be the difference between a fourth runners-up medal and finally getting over the line next season.

This is where Sesko could come in, make a massive difference to the team’s fortunes, and, specifically, help Odegaard get back to his very best.

For example, in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes, this season, the Slovenian “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 21 goals and provided six assists.

That converts to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games or every 120.66 minutes.

In contrast, Kai Havertz scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 36 appearances, totalling 2809 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 140.45 minutes.

Moreover, according to Understat, the Leipzig star’s 13 Bundesliga goals have come from an expected goals figure of just 10.84 this season, whereas the German’s nine league goals have come from an expected goals figure of 11.83.

So, just imagine how many more assists the Gunners’ Norwegian maestro would be able to rack up with a far more clinical striker in front of him.

Furthermore, as he’s still just 21 years old, there is no telling how much more effective the Radeče-born poacher could be in three or four years.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to sign a new striker this summer, and while he won’t come cheap, Sesko looks like someone who could lead the line for years to come and help get Odegaard back to his mercurial best.

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