rewrite this title Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko and why big-money strikers are struggling

Earlier in 2025, Manchester United were stunned when they were told a deal for Benjamin Sesko might be on. That was because they were one of many clubs that fully expected the Slovenian to go to Arsenal. That had been the word for over a year.

It is instead Viktor Gyokeres who occupies the Arsenal striker position. Or, at least, he has occupied it. Gyokeres’s superb goal against Inter Milan couldn’t have been more timely, since Gabriel Jesus scored twice to bolster the debate that the Brazilian should be Mikel Arteta’s starting No 9.

The fact that Sesko had been the alternative, however, is no longer part of that debate. The younger forward has endured similar struggles.

So while the build-up to Sunday’s meeting might previously have been about whether Sesko or Gyokeres could have started for the other team, there is now the possibility neither starts at all.

That would primarily be down to how they’re not scoring enough, but they’re not alone there, either.

One of the season’s trends has been how almost all of the summer’s major striker signings have encountered challenges in different ways. Only Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike has so far been a widely considered success, with eight goals.

Even if you add his finishes to the collective 12 of Sesko, Gyokeres, Liam Delap and Alexander Isak, it is still only 20 – the same as Erling Haaland.

That imbalance displays what the rest have to try to replicate. Even Brentford’s Igor Thiago has more than the collective: Delap, who has spent months out injured, Isak, who is now out injured for months, Sesko and Gyokeres have a combined 16.

That is not many goals for a collective £345m before add-ons. It’s £17m per goal, or £23m if you remove Ekitike.

This isn’t to write any of them off, since they have all had different issues. Delap and Isak have had significant injuries, with the latter obviously enduring other initial fitness issues after his controversial move. Sesko is just 22 and adapting to a new team at a difficult time, while Gyokeres must get used to a significant step-up in league quality.

Their struggles nevertheless say something more about the market and the evolution of forwards right now.

The search for No 9s was the main theme of the summer window, and that was partly because there was a sudden glut of such players available, at the same time as coaches recalibrated tactics to create space for them. Strikers were back.

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Except, there’s now a sense that supply and demand didn’t quite align – in terms of both the players signed and the way that teams play.

Five clubs – United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United – were all looking at seven options: Sesko, Gyokeres, Ekitike, Isak, Delap, Ollie Watkins and Victor Osimhen.

Newcastle eventually went for Nick Woltemade, whose midfield abilities ensure he isn’t seen in the same way. It’s a similar story with Joao Pedro, due to his ability to fill a range of positions.

Woltemade’s £65m switch showed how this push for forwards obviously inflated prices, bringing a premium that didn’t necessarily reflect quality. Clubs felt they just had to make the moves, to fill a new gap.

It is why those clubs still describe the Delap move as a “no-brainer”, given he was available for a mere £30m release clause. That’s less than half of everyone else’s price, other than the £55m Gyokeres.

Many are now wondering whether Delap regrets going to Chelsea, given the conveyor belt of other attackers there. United still feel he would have been right for them.

The lower fee made all the more sense given the questions about the ability of all the strikers – other than Isak – to step up and score regularly for a big Premier League club. It is perhaps instructive that Leeds United are content with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose stock had fallen.

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Such questions aren’t completely an issue of talent, though. If a space has been created for No 9s again, the position doesn’t have the same contours. Pressing has ensured it really isn’t about scoring.

Academies are meanwhile still adjusting to new realities, which means they don’t yet truly develop killer finishers in the way the sport itself used to hone naturally.

You might ask whether Alan Shearer would have scored so many if he weren’t playing in a system that just fed him the ball, but then, why would you have a finisher as good as Shearer doing all that chasing? Consider Haaland.

This evolution has forced an unfair disconnect between expectation and execution, as Sesko found in a Ruben Amorim team that didn’t play to his strengths.

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You could see why the Portuguese wanted Watkins. Old Trafford sources counter that now by pointing to the instant transformation in Sesko – with his two goals against Burnley – once the team actually got the ball to him.

United would otherwise have gone for Ekitike, and rival clubs generally saw him as the most advanced option outside of Isak. Except, it was quickly clear that the Frenchman really wanted Liverpool.

The refusal to test that resolve is seen as another sign of evolution at Old Trafford. In previous times, they would have just offered more money.

Similar is true of Gyokeres in a different way. A greater focus on data ensured United never had the same interest despite the Amorim connection. There was concern about the nature of some of his finishes, despite his obvious qualities. Analytics showed that a lot of his goals in Portugal would likely have been saved by Premier League-level goalkeepers. Chelsea, meanwhile, linked that to how he didn’t get the ball out of his feet quickly enough.

Many at Arsenal remain adamant that Gyokeres is the right choice. Arteta appreciates many aspects of his work, pointing to this evolved role. There have been some frustrations at how the ball “doesn’t stick to him”, as well as an unwillingness to “gamble” by running into the box.

The latter is largely seen as a confidence issue, which is why it’s hoped a recent return of two in three – one close-range against Chelsea, one long-range against Inter – may ignite the Swede.

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Sesko has had similar confidence issues.

One significant contrast, however, is that Gyokeres is 27, whereas Sesko is 22. In other words, Sesko can yet grow. United have also been encouraged by his sharp movement. Such “ceilings” were the source of debate at Arsenal.

That was ultimately settled by another facet, though: squad role.

One reason that Arsenal only spent £55m on Gyokeres – rather than go all in on an Isak – was because he was intended to be another prominent option in a multi-angled attack.

Goals weren’t quite Arsenal’s problem, after all. They hit 91 in the 38 games of 2023-24. Kai Havertz was central to that, due to his deep understanding of Arteta’s pressing. He is expected to be a regular when fully fit, even if a knee issue may require time management.

The real issue was depth, and those few games when it wasn’t working. This is what Gyokeres is for. Arsenal may now have the cover to compensate.

For all the rationalisations, though, there’s a simple reality: if Arsenal had Haaland, they’d probably be 12 points clear. That’s even allowing for recent form.

There just aren’t many Haalands, as the summer showed.

A fact that might be put into even clearer context if neither Sesko nor Gyokeres start Sunday’s game.