Arsenal Hold ‘Secret Meeting’ Over £70 Million Target | OneFootball

Arsenal have held a ‘secret meeting’ with RB Leipzig over the potential signing of long-term target Benjamin Šeško, reports in Germany state.

In what is one of football’s worst kept secrets, Arsenal are looking to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s squad with an out and out ‘number nine’ in the hope of finding a regular source of goals. Last season’s top scorer was Kai Havertz with 15 across all competitions, but just nine of those came in the Premier League.

Šeško has regularly been touted as one of Arsenal’s primary targets, alongside Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres, but current employers RB Leipzig have shown no desire to let the emerging Slovenian leave on the cheap.

Sky Germany report that Arsenal’s new sporting director, Andrea Berta, recently met with Leipzig counterpart Marcel Schäfer in London, with the topic of conversation between the pair a potential deal for Šeško.

Arsenal are chasing a new striker this summer. / IMAGO/DeFodi Images

The 22-year-old has a variable release clause in his contract, which fluctuates depending on his performances, and that figure currently sits at around £70 million ($94.2 million). It’s thought Arsenal’s preference would be to agree a structured payment, spread out over an undetermined amount of time, though that could ultimately mean they end up paying Leipzig more than that figure.

Šeško signed a new long-term contract with Leipzig last year, committing his future to the club until 2029, but there’s preference would be to agree a structured payment, spread out over an undetermined amount of time, though that could ultimately mean they end up paying Leipzig more than that figure.

And with Leipzig failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League, that time would appear to be now. Arsenal face competition for Šeško, from rivals Chelsea among others, but may feel confident in persuading the powerful striker that his long-term future lies at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal are yet to build on their 2020 FA Cup success under Arteta but have established themselves as genuine Premier League title contenders in the last three seasons, finishing runners-up each time. They also made it through to the semi-finals of this season’s Champions League, before being eliminated by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.