Kepa Arrizabalaga, Benjamin Sesko, Morgan Rogers (Photos: Stephen Pond, Stuart Franklin, Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Benjamin Sesco’s signs are positive, but not yet done
Another week has passed and we are not yet at the stage where Arsenal agreed to a deal for Benjamin Sesco, but things are clearly beginning to move forward.
For the first time since the end of the season, I have seen a decisive swing in terms of Arsenal’s striker pursuit.
Talks with RB Leipzig continued, with no agreement yet on the potential fees for the 22-year-old, but hopes that they will soon reach a successful conclusion is hope.
However, the relationship between Arsenal and Leipzig is good and I think it will be rewarded at some point during these negotiations if we need to reach some compromise.
The facts are that they both hope that these arguments will close their conclusions as soon as possible, so they make the situation clear (here’s more details on Mark Brus). Neither club will benefit from the talks dragged deep into the summer as they have never seen Saudi clubs on the suggestion that they are currently watching Sesco.
So you’ll see what the next few days will bring. The signs now are positive, but there is still a fair way to go until Arsenal can definitely say they have their guys.
If the deal ends, it will certainly be an exciting signature.
Before that, I think of it as Viktor Gyoker of the two main targets, but when I tried to decide between the two, I almost tossed a coin.
Both have risks. There seems to be this theory that Gyoker is likely to be a hit with Arsenal, but I have not really seen that argument.
He’s older, yes. But he’s not really experienced and not at the highest level anyway. He is far from guaranteed despite his incredible scores in his time in Portugal.
Sesko is a smart sign. Whenever you talk to football or people around it, they talk very high about him and what he will become.
The tool is there to get him to a very high level in the coming years, so if it was Sesco that would eventually arrive, I fully understood the club’s position.
If you’re investing up to £100 million in a striker when considering wages, you need to think about the long term, and Sesko is certainly a long term option.
He’ll put enough pressure on him given the intense spotlight that he has to play underneath, and that’s something he has to deal with.
However, Arsenal has a lot of emphasis on the character and personality of the players they are trying to sign on, and they are sure that Sesco will be able to handle the pressure coming in his path.
Kepa’s forwarding looks like a great business + Why Garcia didn’t go well
I think Kepa’s deals are great if they’re done.
Arsenal acted very quickly after it was revealed that João Garcia would not arrive from Espanyol this summer.
Landing a Keeper like Kepa for just £5 million is an absolute stolen. I’m honestly confused that there seem to be people questioning it.
Some of the issues are that it will be another signature from Chelsea. Considering what happened in the past, you can understand it in a way, but just put it on one side and make this deal about what it is and there’s nothing to complain about.
You are talking about a keeper with a lot of experience and approaching his best years as Senior International. He had a very good season on loan at Bournemouth last season, and the season helped Real Madrid win the Champions League while he was there.
Yes, when he first arrived at Chelsea, he had some famous problems. The world record transfer fees were the weight of his shoulders that he struggled to deal with.
But those days are behind him. He shows he is a great goalkeeper at this level.
And remember, remember that he is in as number 2. Raya remains appropriate, so Kepa only plays a handful of games.
It’s a really good deal at an exceptional price. And the fact that it appears to be wrapped up in the early summer is truly positive.
We all know that Garcia really wanted Keeper Arsenal, but the season he just went with Espanyol basically made that impossible deal this summer.
He never came to Raya’s second place. His incredible progress over the past 12 months has ended Arsenal’s hopes of getting him.
So they move to other targets, move very quickly for Kepa and take advantage of its release clauses to show a lot of Nous in the market.
Morgan Rogers is the best talent, but I don’t know how he fits in Arsenal
Morgan Rodgers’ link was interesting as he is certainly an exceptional player.
Arsenal saw it in person last season, especially in games at Villa Park at the start of the campaign, when they gave them all sorts of issues.
What is expected is that Aston Villa has not been able to qualify for the Champions League, which may make it difficult to have to navigate this summer.
Rogers is one of the players mentioned as a potential departure, and it’s not surprising given the way he developed since moving out of Middlesbrough.
When it comes to Arsenal, I think he’s a welcome addition if they stick to something more specific.
But one of the problems I have with potential moves is that I don’t know exactly where he fits in the system under this team and Mikel Arteta.
They are sure they will find a way to suit him, but it feels like a square peg in a round hole.
I have not seen him as the winger on the left at all. I think he’s good in the central area where he can drive to the box to support the striker or even become the striker himself.
Currently, Arsenal has Declan Rice in that role, so I haven’t seen him lose his place.
So I don’t really know if Rogers fits what Arsenal really needs this summer.
The winger should be a priority for me, and I think that will happen. That’s why there’s a strong interest in Rodrigo and Nico Williams.
If Arsenal were going to raid the villa for whom this summer, I think it’s likely they’ll come back for Ollie Watkins, the player they tried to sign just a few months ago.
Matteo Tognozzi has excavated some gems and should be a great addition along with Andrea Berta
I have to admit that I knew nothing about Matteo Tognozzi until just a few days ago. He’s not someone who really showed up on my radar before.
However, with reports revealed that Andre Berta is about to add him to his recruitment team at Arsenal, I’ve delved a little deeper into his background, so I’m pretty excited about what he can bring to Arsenal.
Nothing has been signed yet, but the signs point to an agreement that will be a major coup for Arsenal and Andrea Berta. This is because Juventus saw Tognozzi as a potential new sports director.
I’ve spoken with people around Juventus’ bubble and they can’t speak enough about his ability to find him and his good young players.
He is recognized for many of the better transfer businesses he has made in recent years, including deals that saw talent such as Dean Huijsen and Kenan Yildiz’s arrival.
So it looks like a good addition to Arsenal’s recruitment team, making it a clear indication that Andrea Berta is beginning to put stamps on the club after he arrives as sports director.
I don’t think this will be the last addition either. I think we’ll see more Tognozzi-to-Arsenal follow-up as Berta builds his own network