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Arsenal could lose out on striker target Benjamin Sesko as Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal look to sign him on transfer deadline day ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup, according to reports.
The Gunners appear to have made the Slovenia international their primary striker target after they opened talks with RB Leipzig last week, but their hopes of bringing him to the club may have taken a hit with him now attracting interest from the Saudi league.
Sesko's preference is to remain in Europe, as per Fabrizio Romano, but Arsenal will be on edge as the hours go by during deadline day.
Al-Hilal interested in Benjamin Sesko
"How much of a worry is this for Arsenal?" 🔴
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 10, 2025
Al-Hilal are interested in Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko and want to sign a striker today in time for the Club World Cup. pic.twitter.com/yFGquBGBHX
Sky Sports' Mark McAdam revealed that Arsenal went ahead in the race to sign Sesko after holding talks last week and went away to consider RB Leipzig's demands.
The German side compared their star striker's situation to that of fellow goalscorers in demand this summer. With the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak reported to be worth over £100m, they feel Sesko's valuation is also in that range.
The Gunners are said to have informed Leipzig that they do have other targets while they review Sesko's situation internally, but do hold him in high regard. They are yet to make any official bid for the striker however.
Al-Hilal will be showing far more demand in their pursuit of Sesko as they need to sign him ahead of today's transfer deadline at 19:00 BST in order to take him to the Club World Cup.
While the player is reported to prefer continuing in Europe at this stage of his career, Al-Hilal will believe they have the financial ability to persuade him to make the move. This will strike nerves into Arsenal and their fans as they hope their target doesn't agree to a deal.
There isn't much the Gunners can do at this stage and unless they launch a shock official bid comes out of nowhere, they won't know if their hopes of signing Sesko remain alive until this evening's deadline passes.
Losing out on Sesko would be frustrating to say the least. While Arsenal are keeping their options open, it would appear they have made him their priority target. Their prospects of targeting Viktor Gyokeres as a different choice have taken a knock after Manchester United made an initial approach to sign him while other targets such as Ollie Watkins may not be value for money.
It's safe to say I am going to be very nervous like most Arsenal fans over the next few hours. It looks promising that Sesko will opt against joining Al-Hilal, but one must hope his mind won't be changed.