Arsenal could face fresh competition for No.1 striker target Benjamin Sesko this summer.
Barcelona are one of the European giants interested in the RB Leipzig striker who is set for a money-spinning move at the end of the season. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta targeted Sesko last summer but the 21-year-old Slovenia striker decided to stay at RB Leipzig for one more year.
Sesko also negotiated a £60m “gentleman’s agreement” to allow him to leave this summer and RB Leipzig intend to stick to that unless a club makes a mega offer in January. Arsenal have also looked at the likes of Juventus ’ Dušan Vlahović and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyökeres.
Arsenal have explored bringing forward one of their summer targets to this month with Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams also on their hit-list. Williams’ wage demands of in excess of £300,000-a-week have been the stumbling block as he has a £55m buy-out clause.
Sesko’s representatives went to various Premier League clubs last season but Arsenal believed they were in pole position and he would come to them if he does move to England.
That hope remains the same but other clubs like Barcelona - who have struggled to balance the books and stay within La Liga ’s financial rules in recent seasons - are also watching.
Gunners boss Arteta discussed adding attacking options to his squad on Friday, saying: “At the moment, we don’t have them. We are trying, as I said, actively to find the best possible solution. But we will have to wait and see what we can do.
“Obviously, it [the profile of player] is not something that I’m going to discuss here. We have lost two massive players for us in the front line and we need some support.”