Sky Journalist Confirms Arsenal Could Now Have To Pay Up To £64M If They Want To Land Jesus Replacement

Arsenal transfer target Benjamin Sesko could have his release clause increased to as much as €75m (£64m) before the end of the season, according to Sky Germany reporter Philipp Hinze.

The journalist says the threshold is based on performances and, while it has already risen from €50m (£43m) to €65m (£56m), there is a possibility it could go even higher.


Sesko is known to be one of at least three strikers that the Gunners are pursuing ahead of the next transfer window.

Mikel Arteta’s side are also monitoring Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, but both of those players are still expected to be more expensive than Sesko, even if the buyout fee reaches €75m.

Reports in the Portuguese media have suggested that Sporting will demand that clubs pay €100m (£86m) for Gyokeres, while it is assumed that Isak would cost even more than that, with Newcastle reluctant to sell their top scorer.

Sesko’s record for Leipzig this season

The Slovenian international hasn’t exactly been that prolific since moving from Red Bull Salzburg to RB Leipzig at the start of the season.

In 29 Bundesliga appearances, Sesko has hit the back of the net 12 times. He has scored 4 more in the Champions League and the German Cup.

His numbers do compare rather unfavourably to the likes of Gyokeres (41 goals) and Isak (24), but his release clause is attracting suitors. In addition to the Gunners, the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United have also been linked with the forward.

Arsenal are looking to replace Gabriel Jesus

While the Gunners won’t actively look to sell the Brazilian in the coming weeks, respected sources have claimed that the club are willing to listen to offers.

Jesus has struggled to score on a consistent basis since arriving from Manchester City at the start of the 2022/23 campaign and he has also struggled with injuries.

From the looks of things, Sesko is one of the prime candidates to succeed Jesus in wearing the no.9 shirt.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.