With Benjamin Sesko deciding to stay put at RB Leipzig, one of the more tedious transfer sagas of this summer window has come to an end. As a consequence, Arsenal may now turn to Brentford’s Ivan Toney as an alternative. We’ll cover both forwards, and then stick with Brentford for the final item, focusing on goalkeeper David Raya, in this edition of Arsenal FC Transfer Talk.
Let’s start with Sesko however, who is quoted by to The BBC:
“I had a good first year at RB Leipzig and am incredibly happy to be here. Team, club, city, fans – the overall package is simply outstanding for me. The early contract extension was therefore the logical next step.”
The Slovakian had a £55m release clause, but that is all a moot point now for Arsenal (Chelsea and Manchester United too, as they were also interested). Sesko scored 14 goals in 31 games this past season, his first at Leipzig. Shifting gears to Toney, Arsenal have plenty of competition in the race to acquire his signature.
Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Chelsea and Manchester United (now that they have FINALLY decided on the manager situation, with Erik ten Hag staying put, they can focus on summer shopping list, and Toney is on it).
The Ivan Toney bidding could start in the neighborhood of about £80 million, but with so many interested clubs, the final price could be well over a £100m. Brentford will likely be keen on selling Ivan Toney this summer too.
That’s because they could risk losing him for nothing next summer, given how his contract expires at the end of this season.
Speaking of Brentford and Arsenal doing deals together, the two London clubs, situated just 16 miles apart, are finalizing the David Raya arrangement. As has been expected and anticipated for a long time, the goalkeeper’s arrangement will now be converted from a loan deal to a permanent one.
????? Arsenal are completing formal documents for David Raya permanent move from Brentford. https://t.co/jA3pQosfEs
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 12, 2024
You can see more in the tweet from Fab above.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.