It’s no secret that Arsenal’s primary objective this summer will be to sign a new striker.
Despite being a distant second in the Premier League and all but out of the title race, Mikel Arteta’s side still have the best defensive record in the competition, but when it comes to the other side of the coin, they are only the joint-third highest scorers.
Worst yet, the Gunners have scored just 53 goals, whereas Liverpool have put the ball in the back of the net 69 times in just 29 games, which might help explain the chasm in points between the two teams.
Fortunately, it appears as if the club are going to address this problem in the coming months, especially as the striker heavily touted for a move to Arsenal has been compared to none other than goalscoring extraordinaire Harry Kane.
Arsenal's striker search
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko.
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In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Gunners’ have made the Slovenian striker their ‘number one target for the summer’ and are planning to double his current £91k-per-week salary at the Emirates.
However, while the North Londoners would like to complete the deal for around €60m, which is about £50m, the 21-year-old has a release clause worth €70m – £58m – in his contract, which could reach up to €80m by the end of the season, which comes out to £67m.
It would be a costly and potentially complicated transfer to get over the line for Arsenal, but given his ability and potential, it is one well worth pursuing, especially as he’s been compared to Kane in the past.
How Sesko compares to Kane
There are several reasons why Arsenal should be going all out to sign Sesko this summer, but before getting to them, it’s worth examining this comparison to Kane and where it has come from.
In this case, it has primarily stemmed from FBref, which compared players in similar positions in last season’s Champions League, then created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and came to the conclusion that the Englishman was the tenth most similar forward to the Slovenian.
The best way to see how they came to this conclusion is by looking at some of the underlying metrics in which they ranked closely, including but not limited to expected goals plus assists, non-penalty goals, goals per shot, attempted passes, shot-creating actions, clearances and more, all per 90.
Expected Goals Plus Assists
0.64
0.69
Non-Penalty Goals
0.44
0.42
Goals per Shot
0.13
0.15
Attempted Passes
19.6
19.1
Shot-Creating Actions
2.67
2.54
Clearances
0.67
0.59
Ball Recoveries
2.44
2.54
However, while being statistically similar to one of the very best strikers on the planet is certainly one reason why the Gunners should sign the former RB Salzburg ace, it’s not the only one.
For example, away from comparisons to the England captain, the Radeče-born dangerman has been a serious attacking threat this season and, in just 36 appearances, totalling 2655 minutes, has been able to score 17 goals and provide six assists.
That means the Leipzig star is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.56 games, or every 115.43 minutes, which for someone who is still just 21 and playing in a top-five league week in, week out is seriously impressive.
Finally, coming in at a height of 6 foot 5, the goalscoring “monster,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, would make an already tall and intimidating Arsenal team even more so, which sounds like something that would very much appeal to Arteta.
Ultimately, it might cost the club a pretty penny, but the Gunners should be doing all they can to sign Sesko this summer, not just because he’s been compared to Kane but because he looks like one of the most promising strikers on the market.
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