Nice raw talent, but is he the guy to lead the line to the PL trophy next season for us?
He would maybe be a nice profile of signinig for us years ago, while we were assebling our attack with Saka, Martinelli, Ode, all at their start…
But to go for a guy like Sesko, at this precise moment, where you need a guy to finish out front line, would be a very weird move.
He’s a project player still. FAR, too far, from a finished article.
I don’t think 11 goals and 5 assists is a bad return in the Bundesliga for a striker of his age and profile. I rate the Bundesliga higher than the Primeira Liga. He has scored against some decent teams in the league, including Bayern, and has 4 goals in the CL against Juve, Atletico, and Sporting.
If we buy a marquee winger or No.10 who can deliver the goals, that will take the pressure off Sesko to deliver high numbers in his first season. I think he has all the qualities we need.
I’m torn. I think Sesko is the better buy in a vacuum and in the medium/long term. But we’re now in a position where we simply must win league or CL in the next year or two or the whole project may implode. Gyokeres is the better bet to help us get over the line next year, maybe the year after as well.
Considering the amount of strikers who have far surpassed those numbers his are very mediocre for someone who is to be the answer for a top team going for the PL title, I don’t see elite talent with him just goodish
I haven’t seen Gyokeres nor Sesko play. Maybe Gyokeres passes the eye-test for experience better than Sesko does, but as far as actual experience goes on paper I’m not sure Sesko does under for Gyokeres? He has a EURO’s under his belt, has been playing Champions League with Salzburg, Bundesliga is still better than the Primeira Liga, etc.
Gyokeres is the better bet for next season and maybe that’s all that matters. But his goal scoring record is insanely inflated by penalties, which he either won’t take for us or won’t add meaningful value in taking them above Saka. He also has just played a lot more than Sesko so his totals are going to be more impressive.
Over the last two years in leage, Europe, and domestic cups Gyokeres is scoring a non-penalty goal every 125 minutes. Sesko in the equivalent competitions has scored a non-penalty goal every 143 minutes. So Gyokeres is absolutely more prolific but its not the massive difference that just looking at raw totals would make it look like. He has also proven that he can do it over a full ~4000 minute season which Sesko has never done and that can’t be discounted. But he’s also doing it against weaker competition and during his age 25-26 prime whereas Sesko is only aged 20-21 over these seasons.
I really think its a question of how much weight we’re putting on performance next year versus performance over the length of whatever contract we sign the player. I’m pretty comfortable saying that Sesko will probably be the better player over the next five years, but Gyokeres will probably be the better player next year.
Everybody is different but over large samples the average attacking player peaks age 25-28. We’re getting Gyokeres starting with his age 27 season so on a five year deal we’ll get 27-31. With Sesko we’ll get 22-26. So they’ll probably spend an equal number of peak years over a five year deal, but we’re likely seeing Gyokeres at his top level right now whereas Sesko will likely get a lot better.
I’m not opposed to Gyokeres just based on needing to win the league very soon in order to keep this project rolling. But in other circumstances I would be strongly pro-Sesko.
