A leopard never changes its spots.

After a year of chasing Benjamin Sesko, Arsenal pivoted and opted to sign Viktor Gyorekes. That decision is looking better and better as each day goes on.

The issue for Sesko has never been his talent. He certainly has the attributes to become one of the best strikers in the world. But Arsenal became increasingly frustrated with both RB Leipzig and Sesko’s representatives throughout negotiations. And it is the later that likely killed the deal.

Whilst Gyorekes and his people were working hard to get a deal done, the feeling was Sesko’s representatives were becoming tough to deal with.

According to those with inside knowledge of the deal, ‘during negotiations, Sesko’s agent Elvis Basanovic had left club [Arsenal] insiders jaw dropped with his shenanigans. One Insider said he presented Sesko as “Messi”.’

I always laugh when fans of a club celebrate signing a player who either let us contract run down, or who’s agent caused disruption during negotiations. These sort of players and agents are likely to repeat the behaviour in the future. And at that point, those same fans who celebrated will be calling them a disgrace (Exhibit one is Alexander Isak behaving the same way at Newcastle as he did at Real Sociedad).

What Andrea Berta and Arsenal execs would have been thinking during negotiations is the long game. A problematic representative now will also be problematic down the future. Like the leopard, they do not change their spots.

At 22-years-old, Sesko probably would have signed a 5-year-deal at Arsenal. That would have seen us having to negotiate with his representatives again in 3-years-time. And considering how they have behaved the last 12-months, that is clearly something Berta had no interest in doing.

You want players to sign for the club who are interested in winning the biggest trophies at Arsenal. Not players who see us as a stepping stone to Real Madrid or Barcelona. It is not hard to foresee after a good 3 years in the Premier League, the representatives of Sesko hawking him around Europe looking to see if they could get their man a better deal elsewhere.

Sasko, after all, is Pro Transfers only decent player. He is their cash cow. And they will use him to try and create themselves generational wealth.

With just Sesko on their books, they likely would have wanted a decent commission off this deal. And then in 3-years time, they would look to make further commission by either moving him clubs, or demanding a huge agent fee for Sesko to agree a new contract. They are clearly the sort of representatives a club would not want to deal with.

Now I will concede that Gyorekes did some unsavoury things to push through his Arsenal move, including failing to turn up to training. But this is a different scenario to Sesko’s representatives continually moving the goalposts.

Gyorekes has an agreement with the former Sporting Director of Football Hugo Viana that he could leave in the summer of 2025 if a buying club offered an agreed amount. And Arsenal did that.

The issue was Viana had left Sporting in early June, and that left Sporting President Frederico Varandas overseeing the deal. He refused to acknowledge the agreement, going back on the clubs words.

It has been reported that had Viana been at Sporting, the Gyorekes would have happened quickly. But with his departure, Varandas moved the goalposts and forced Gyorekes hand. He had to play up a little to get his move and to ensure Sporting honoured the agreement.

Sesko’s issues are not in the way he has behaved to depart Leipzig, but the way his agents have behaved during negotiations. And in 3-years down the line history will repeat itself.

Apparently, Sesko is now weighing up whether to join Newcastle United or Manchester United. It should be an easy choice. Newcastle is a stop off, Manchester is a destination.

Whilst Newcastle but be in a better position short term, it is easy to forget with the way their fans go on that they have won just one League Cup in 70-years. They are not a big club.

Kids around the globe dream of playing for Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool et al. Only kids on Tyneside and in County Durham dream of playing for Newcastle.

What Sesko’s people are doing is seeing who offers their player the most money. And how offers them the most money to get the deal done. And it is grubby.

I for one am happy we made the early decision to move for Gyorekes. Were we chasing Sesko we would still be in negotiations, getting increasingly frustrated.

We have our man, Newcastle and Man U can now fight it out for an overpriced talented football (just 13 league goals last season), who will only cause further issues down the line.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Keenos