The last month has been far from ideal for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta the team lost points in the Premier League and are now ready to do without the talismanic Bukayo Saka for at least at least a few months.
However, the only positive development was the return to form of Gabriel Jesuswho has scored five goals in his last three games and looks much more dangerous than just a month ago.
Unfortunately for the Brazilian, it may be too little, too late, as recent reports once again link the club with one of Europe’s most promising strikers, who could be his long-term replacement.
Arsenal transfer news
According to to reports from SpainArsenal have maintained their interest in RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško and he now wants to seal a move to England in 2025.
The report claims that following his impressive form for the German side this season, the Slovenia international has attracted the attention of several potential suitors heading into next year.
Although this competition is far from ideal for the Gunners, the good news is that they now know how much they will have to offer to secure the services of the 21-year-old, as the report claims that Leipzig will only listen to offers above €70 million, or around £58 million.
It would still require a significant investment from Arsenal to complete this transfer, but given Šeško’s abilities and potential, it is worth pursuing, even if it could be bad news for Jesus.
How Šeško compares to Jesus
So, as things stand, it looks like Jesus has reclaimed the number nine role at Arsenal, and given his five goals in the last three games, it’s a role he could keep for a while longer .
However, if the club were to spend less than £60 million on Šeško next month or this summer, they would surely only do so with the intention of giving him as many minutes as possible, putting him in direct competition with the Brazilian.
That said, which of them comes out on top in a direct comparison?
Well, when it comes to their pure production since the start of last season, it’s a pretty comfortable win for the Radeče-born “monster”, as nicknamed by analyst Ben Mattinson.
For example, he found the back of the net 29 times and delivered five assists in 65 appearances, which equates to a goal every 1.91 matches.
On the other hand, the former Manchester City star scored 14 goals and ten assists in 59 matches over the same period, which equates to a rather disappointing average of one goal every 2.45 matches.
Interestingly, things are a little closer when we look under the hood at their underlying numbers since the start of last season, even though the Leipzig gem still comes in just ahead in the most relevant metrics.
|
Šeško against Jesus |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics for 90 |
Seško |
Jesus |
|
Expected non-penalty G+As |
0.45 |
0.59 |
|
Actual G+A without penalty |
0.85 |
0.52 |
|
Gunshots |
2.58 |
3:30 p.m. |
|
Shots on target |
1.38 |
1.13 |
|
Goals per shot |
0.27 |
0.09 |
|
Goals per shot on target |
0.51 |
0.25 |
|
Goal-creating actions |
0.42 |
0.52 |
|
Aerial duels won |
2.47 |
0.94 |
|
All statistics via FBref for Season 23/24 – 24/25 |
||
For example, although he is second best in expected non-penalty goals plus assists, shots and goal-creating actions, he is comfortably ahead in metrics such as actual non-penalty goals plus assists , shots on target, goals per shot and shot on target and aerial duels won, all by 90.
Additionally, the fact that the Sao Paulo-born ace scored a slew of goals last month improved his overall score by 90, which could be misleading without that added context.
Ultimately, while Jesus remains a brilliant footballer and a player who could be a valuable asset to Arsenal, it seems unlikely that he will become a goalscoring phenom in the years to come, which could be the case for Šeško .
Therefore, even though it will cost the club a significant amount of money, the Gunners should do what they can to sign the Slovenian goal machine as quickly as possible.
