“One of the main transfer sags of the summer ended.”, – WRITE: Football.ua
One of the main transfer sags of the summer ended.
Even before the transfer window was opened, head coach Mikel Artet and Sports Director of Andrea Bert considered the attacker’s position as the most important element of the club’s summer campaign.
After a month of speculation around DechereshBenjamin Sheshko, Ollie Watkins and others – Arsenal finally received the desired forward. The 27-year-old striker has moved from Portuguese sports for € 63.5 million plus € 10 million in the form of bonuses. The contract is five years.
The club is convinced of: The chip Ready to immediately join the team and influence the result. This is a forward for “here and now” – a player who, according to expectations, will help the team this season.
To tell how everything really happened, The Athletic talked with sources in clubs and among players – anonymously, so as not to damage working relationships.
A year ago, such a scenario seemed unlikely. To the appointment of Berta in March The chip was not one of the main transfer goals of the arsenal.
Due to the effectiveness in sports and challenges to the Sweden national team (now it has 26 matches for the national team), it was in view. But the previous sports director of ED and his team believed Decheresh Rather, the player of the “second tier” is a good partner for Kai Havertz, but not necessarily better than him. Its physical qualities and completion of attacks were not in doubt, but the style of the game did not quite correspond to the artistic system.
At that moment, Benjamin Sheshko remained the main priority with Lepzig RB – Arsenal had already studied the possibility of transfer in the summer of 2024 and planned to return to this idea.
In March, the temporary successor of Ed, Jason Ayto, was even preparing to go to Germany to move in the negotiations. It seemed to be Sheshko’s summer.
But at the end of March they appointed Berta – and the situation changed. A trip to Germany was canceled and a candidate Decheresh Again, she was in the spotlight. Berta has long been a fan of this forward and believed that he could help the arsenal to complete the five -year expectations of the trophies.
Personal sympathy went to the background – the arsenal, with the support of the owners, decided to assess both options in parallel to make a well -balanced decision.
For 18 months, Sheshko’s representatives have built a strong relationship with Ed and Ayto, laying the basis for the Slovenets to Emirates.
But with the arrival of Berta, the dynamics of relationships changed. Although Sheshko’s team continued to consider him the main candidate for the arsenal, they had fears: a change in leadership could be jeopardized.
Sheshko’s representatives were also in no hurry. They did not want to close other opportunities and took a rigid position in negotiations with Arsenal – which caused annoyance in North London.
However, communicating with the player agent, Elvis Basanovich, remained constructive – he was even a guest of the club at the last home match of the season against Newcastle.
Leipzig was aware of interest and wanted to close the agreement as soon as possible – it would give clarity and accelerated their updating of the composition. The arsenal was attracted by Sheshko’s age and potential. The club has long been following him and did a great analytical work. The idea to invite a young forward with a prospect of growth and further increase of transfer value fully satisfied the owners.
But the real breakthrough could not be achieved. The requested transfer amount, salary requirements and commissions to agents – all of which looked too expensive for a player who was considered rather than a development project. Sheshko’s potential is obvious, but the current phase of Arsenal requires an instant result.
Sources on the German side point out that even if the financial conditions surrendered the arsenal overpriced, it was part of the standard negotiation process – and there was still a space for compromises. However, it was not possible to advance the arsenal – “Chemistry” did not develop with Basanovich. And though later, when the club has already moved the focus on DechereshSheshko’s team made concessions – it was too late.
Meanwhile The chip The Arsenal leadership was increasingly liked.
In June, he turned 27 – experienced, effective, already familiar with English football. Back in 2018, he signed a contract with Brighton, and later played in Swansia and Coventry, with which he concluded a full -fledged agreement.
At the moment when the arsenal required the final item to move from the contender to the winner, The chip It looked like a player who can have an instant effect.
Another factor: Sam The chip He believed that he had an agreement with sports on the possible transition this summer for € 60 million plus € 10 million bonuses – which is noticeable lower than the prescribed clausula of € 100 million and Bert began to study the possibilities of the agreement.
However, ArtTat still had to be convinced.
During the search for the attacker, his preferences changed. He always appreciated Alexander Isaac, but when he helped Newcastle to go to the Champions League, the club decided that the transfer would become unattainable. And when Isaac made it clear in July that he wanted to leave, the arsenal has already finally switched to other options.
In January, Artet fully supported the idea of signing Watkins, but as a result, the club was not ready to pay for him the amount required by Aston Villa.
At the beginning of the summer, Artet seems to be a little more leaning towards Sheshka – despite the fear that he was not yet ready to play the APL immediately, because he was only 22 years old at the end of May.
In the end, the Spaniard agreed with the idea to focus on Dechershi. After weighing all the factors, both the club and the coach came up: this is the best option for the arsenal.
For the club, of course, it was profitable that the name of Sheshka and Decheresh They were active in public space – it added levers in negotiations. In the arsenal, they were convinced that both players wanted to join them, and in the end one of them would definitely be signed – as soon as the conditions would arrange a club.
However, over time, the variant with Sheshko looked less realistic. In the arsenal, they noticed that they seem to remain the only club that is really actively interested in it, while at Decheresh There were other contenders – including Manchester United.
These two forwards were not limited to the choice. The club was again discussed by Watkins, but the same doubts about age (in December it will be 30) and the amount of transfer did not disappear. Also considered the attacker Atletico Julian Alvarez. But gradually the attention began to focus on Dechershi. In addition to its obvious effectiveness, the agreement with it looked simpler in the structure – and cheaper.
In mid -June, Burta Sports Director flew to the Spanish Island of Menorca for personal negotiations from Sporting. It was an important point: despite all the interest in Sheshka, the arsenal has never organized such a serious meeting.
The problem was that sports seems to not be about to follow the preliminary agreement with Decresh. The Portuguese required a fixed € 70 million and another 10 million bonuses. Although this is € 20 million less than registered in Clausul, the amount was still exceeding what the player’s camp was counting on.
And even then the agreement was not closed yet. The arsenal had to discuss the details of the bonuses, because sports was insisted on payments that they thought could be easily activated. Because of this, the process has been delayed for more than a week. When the team went to Singapore to the Asian Tour, Berte remained to bring the negotiations to the end.
At the final stage of the Sporting negotiations received a request from Manchester United but The chip did not change the solution. He has already finally set his move to Emirates.
The completion of the agreement was also delayed: Sporting relied on the last. It was a grueling process that was very nervous of both Berta and himself Decheresh. But after all, on Friday, July 25, the parties reached full agreement. According to sources, € 5 million of bonuses will be paid for a certain number of matches played, and part is another for the Goal Actions of the forward and the release of the team to the Champions League.
So, the arsenal received its attacker, and Artet – a long -awaited strengthening in the attack.
And it’s not just a transfer. The chip It has an impressive resume: in the last two seasons, he scored 97 goals and made 28 assistants in 102 matches. In the arsenal they see in him a dynamic, powerful attacker – an aggressive runner and a straight -line dribern. They appreciate his movement and dedication – both with or without the ball. And they believe that he has enough character to withstand pressure and solve matches. His confidence also emphasizes the choice of the 14th number-the same one who previously wore the best scorer in the history of the club Tierry Henry.
At first glance, The chip It may seem a less natural option for the artistic system than Gavertz, but it can be a fantasy. The arsenal will have to adapt to the strengths of the Swedish – just like him under the style of the team. Its arrival can be a turning point in the evolution of the team – a transition to a more straightforward, dynamic football.
For Berta, this is also an important transfer. Although the club has agreed on the feasibility of this signing, it was the main initiator of the transition that Decheresh. Now – the queue Swede declare yourself on the field.
The Athletic