"Not the topic for us” - Arsenal suffer transfer blow as manager confirms top target will not leave in January

Arsenal have been dealt a big blow as RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose shut down the rumors linking Benjamin Sesko with an exit in the ongoing January window. The player is reportedly being targeted by the Gunners, among other top European clubs, but will now play out the rest of the season with his current club in Germany.

The 21-year-old has been in excellent form this season, scoring 13 goals and bagging three assists for Leipzig across all competitions. Eight of Sesko's goals have come in the Bundesliga, where he is the seventh-highest goal-scorer at the time of writing.

Quite naturally, Arsenal, in dire need of attacking reinforcements, were linked with him. However, Leipzig manager Rose's latest comments are bound to throw a spanner in the works for the Gunners.

"That’s not the case, not the topic for us," Rose said (via Fabrizio Romano).

Arsenal struggling with injuries in their attacking unit

Arsenal are currently placed second in the Premier League table, and appear to be the only side capable of challenging leaders Liverpool. The two teams are separated by just four points, with Liverpool having a game in hand.

The Gunners have had to endure quite a few serious injuries of late, with their attacking unit in need of reinforcements going into the business end of the Premier League season.

Bukayo Saka is nursing a hamstring injury, and is expected to be out for at least a couple of months. Centre-forward Gabriel Jesus has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Jesus can be expected to be out for the better part of a year during which he will have to recover and complete his rehabilitation before returning to action.

A relative lack of depth in their squad means that Arsenal will have to look for options in the transfer market to get through the rest of the season. At the moment, only Kai Havertz is the fit centre-forward, although Gabriel Martinelli too can play a part-time role up top.

After making a statement with their 2-1 win over North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur midweek, the Gunners will take on Aston Villa in their next game in the Premier League on Saturday, January 18.