Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has delivered his verdict on one player’s decision to reject Arsenal.
The rivalry between Spurs and Arsenal is one of the fiercest in English football. The two sets of fans just don’t like each other and that was evident in the penultimate game of the 2023/24 season.
Tottenham fans were happy to lose to Manchester City just so that Arsenal wouldn’t win the Premier League title.
Such is the rivalry between the two clubs, and Postecoglou appeared to have made his allegiances clear with a comment on a player who was one of Arsenal’s key targets in this summer’s transfer window.
Benjamin Sesko was Arsenal’s top trasfer target before Euro 2024 began.
The Slovenia international was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates. Arsenal really wanted to sign Sesko, and a move even looked likely at one point.
However, after a lot of deliberation, Sesko decided to snub Arsenal and signed a new contract at RB Leipzig. That was a blow to Mikel Arteta and Edu, who were ready to trigger his £55 million release clause.
Arsenal have moved on now, but ahead of England’s game against Slovenia on ITV on Tuesday night, Postecoglou delivered his verdict on Sesko’s decision to stay at RB Leipzig. The Spurs boss thinks it was a ‘smart move’.
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“I think a big club would have looked at him this year, and it’s a smart move for him to stay there for another year,” Postecoglou said. “I think there’s still some development in him, but really good attributes for a striker position, for sure.”
Presenter Mark Pougatch then asked the Spurs boss: “Is that the Tottenham manager saying it’s a smart move not to go to Arsenal?”
“No comment, mate,” replied Postecoglou as Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Gary Neville around him burst out laughing.
Why Sesko rejected Arsenal and how Gunners reacted to the snub
Sesko would’ve been a great addition to this Arsenal squad.
The RB Leipzig star is quick, strong, good in the air and is a lethal finisher. He has all the attributes you would want from a striker, which is probably why Arteta and Edu were so keen to sign him.
However, Sesko rejected Arsenal, and one of the reasons was because the Gunners made it clear to him that he would only be a number two to Kai Havertz.
As for how Arteta and Edu took the rejection, it was claimed that ‘the signing of a striker is not believed to be the be-all and end-all’ for the decision-makers at Arsenal. They weren’t too disappointed.
Arsenal have moved on for now, but it will be interesting to see if Arteta and Edu will go back in for Sesko in the summer of 2025.