Arsenal fans have been left scratching their heads as to why the Gunners are currently concentrating their efforts on signing RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko rather than Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.

The latter is believed to be available for a lower fee, with journalist Fabrizio Romano stating that he can be signed for €65m (£55m).

In contrast, Sesko’s release clause is reportedly €80m (£67.5m), while it has been suggested that Leipzig would demand even more than that if Mikel Arteta’s side can’t afford to pay it in one lump sum.

When you compare the two’s scoring records (and other stats) too, it seems rather odd that Gyokeres is not the main focus, so why is the Swedish striker being ignored? A new report may have shed light on the reason.

Gyokeres’s salary demands are pretty high

Writing on his Substack, reporter Simon Phillips has suggested that the reason why teams (including Chelsea) are not keen on the striker is because his agents are “insisting” on a wage of £300,000 a week.

Gyokeres is earning just £39,000 a week at Sporting (based on Capology’s figures), so the 27-year-old is effectively demanding an eight-fold increase on his current salary.

How would his wage compare to other Arsenal players?

The Gunners’ highest earner is Kai Havertz on £280,000 a week, which means that Gyokeres is holding out for a salary higher than the German’s.

Of course, it should be pointed that Bukayo Saka and others are also in the process of negotiating new deals, so one or more may surpass Havertz over the coming months.

Even so, it appears that Gyokeres’s demands have been deemed excessive and it’s probably one of the key reasons why Arsenal have pivoted to Sesko.

Arteta is said to favour a move for the Slovenian anyway, with Berta having pushed for Gyokeres, so we shall have to wait and see how this plays out.

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