The last month has been far from ideal for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta side lost points in Premier League and are now set to be without the talismanic Bukayo Saka for at at least a couple of months.
However, one positive development was a return to form Gabriel Jesuswho has scored five goals in the last three games and looks much more dangerous than just a month ago.
But unfortunately for the Brazilian, it could be too late, as recent reports have once again linked the club with one of Europe’s most exciting strikers on the rise, who could be his long-term replacement.
Arsenal transfer news
According to to reports from SpainArsenal have retained their interest in RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šešek and he is now looking to seal a move to England in 2025.
The report claims that following his impressive form for the German side this season, the Slovenia international has caught the eye of several potential suitors heading into next year.
While this competition is far from ideal for the Gunners, the good thing is that they now know how much they will have to offer to secure the 21-year-old’s services, as the report claims that Leipzig will only entertain bids in excess of €70m, which is around £58m.
It would still require a significant investment from Arsenal to make this transfer happen, but given Sešek’s ability and potential, it’s worth pursuing, even if it could be bad news for Jesus.
How Šeško is compared to Jesus
So, as things stand, it looks like Jesus has reclaimed the role of Arsenal’s starting number nine, and given his five goals in the last three games, it’s a role he could keep for some time to come.
However, if the club were to spend just shy of £60m on Šešek next month or in the summer, they would surely only do so with the intention of giving him as many minutes as possible, putting him in direct competition with the Brazilian.
That said, which one is the best in a head-to-head comparison?
Well, when it comes to their pure performance since the beginning of last season, a very pleasant victory for the “monster” born in Radeč, as they call him analyst Ben Mattinson.
For example, he found the back of the net 29 times and five assists in 65 appearances, which is equal to a share of goals every 1.91 games.
In contrast, the former Manchester City star scored 14 goals and ten assists in 59 games over the same period, a rather disappointing goal share average of every 2.45 games.
Interestingly, things are a bit closer when we look under the hood at their underlying numbers from the start of last season, although the Leipzig gem still leads in the most relevant metrics.
|
Šeško vs Jesus |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics at 90 |
Šeško |
Jesus |
|
Expected G+As without penalty |
0.45 |
0.59 |
|
Actual G+A without penalty |
0.85 |
0.52 |
|
Recordings |
2.58 |
3.30 |
|
Shooting at the target |
1.38 |
1.13 |
|
Goals per shot |
0.27 |
0.09 |
|
Goals per shot on target |
0.51 |
0.25 |
|
Actions that create goals |
0.42 |
0.52 |
|
Aerial duels won |
2.47 |
0.94 |
|
All statistics via FBref for the season 23/24 – 24/25 |
||
For example, while it is second best for expected goals without penalties plus assists, shots and goal-creating actions, it is comfortably ahead in metrics such as actual goals without penalties plus assists, shots on target, goals per shot and shots on target and aerial duels won, all 90.
What’s more, the fact that the Sao Paulo-born ace has scored a ton of goals in the last month has boosted his total of 90, which could be misleading without that extra context.
Ultimately, while Jesus is still a brilliant footballer and a player who could be a valuable asset for Arsenal, it seems unlikely that he will develop into the goal-scoring phenomenon in the coming years, which could be the case with Šešak.
Therefore, although it will cost the club a significant amount of money, the Gunners should do everything in their power to sign the Slovenian goal machine as soon as possible.
