The summer transfer window has just closed in the Premier League but this hasn’t stopped Chelsea from identifying a potential new to join Stamford Bridge in January.
The Blues have already spent a jaw-dropping £450m so far this season as Todd Boehly looks to topple Manchester City’s recent Premier League dominance.
What’s the latest on Chelsea's interest in Benjamin Sesko?
According to a source for GiveMeSport, Chelsea will look to dip back into the transfer market in January as they have identified RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško as a potential target.
The two-time Champions League winners have so far signed 12 new players whom they deem to be undervalued and will be looking to fire the Blues back into the Champions League following an underwhelming season.
Along with Sesko, the Chelsea recruitment team has also pinpointed Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins as the other two potential candidates.
The Slovenian international has only just moved to RB Leipzig from sister club RB Salzburg in the summer after impressing in Austria.
Leipzig had to fork out a reported £55m for the rangy striker's services which could mean that the west London giants will have to pay a hefty transfer fee if they are to obtain Sesko in January.
CIES Football Observatory, meanwhile, currently value him at €40m (£36m).
Who is Sesko?
The 20-year-old gem is one of the most promising players in the world and could adhere to Chelsea’s youth-oriented transfer strategy.
The 6 foot 4 striker scored 29 times in 79 matches for RB Salzburg prior to his move to RB Leipzig.
According to WhoScored, Sesko won 1.5 aerial duels a game for Salzburg last season which could be useful in a physical league like the Premier League where set pieces can be vital for three points.
If Chelsea wants to keep their youth-oriented transfer strategy Sesko may be their man for the job.
His 2.5 shots per 90 show he’s not afraid to pull the trigger and Chelsea has previously struggled for goals with Kai Havertz being the club’s top goalscorer last season with seven goals in the Premier League.
Why do Chelsea want Sesko?
According to the aforementioned report, Toney has also been identified as the primary transfer target for Chelsea.
However, Brentford’s key man is currently serving an eight-month ban for breaches of the Football Association's betting rules and won’t be returning until January 16th. This could make negotiating tricky with the Blues only having a limited time to get the deal over the line and due to Toney being Premier League-proven their price quoted could be extortionate.
Chelsea only has Nicolas Jackson available for selection as Christopher Nkunku is out for the foreseeable future and will undergo surgery.
It may be seen as smart for Mauricio Pochettino to invest in more squad depth in January. Sesko is seen as a player yet to hit his peak and could be a vital member at Stamford Bridge for the next 10 years.
Stats of linked Chelsea strikers, as per WhoScored
Games Goals Assists Aerial duels won per game Shots per 90 Benjamin Šeško 30 16 4 1.5 2.2 Ivan Toney 33 20 4 3.3 2.8 Ollie Watkins 36 15 6 1.9 2.3 Not to mention the fact that both players are homegrown England internationals and will come at an even bigger premium, in comparison to the "generational" talent that is Sesko, as lauded by journalist Ryan Taylor.Given the evidence above, it's easy to see why the Slovakia sensation is among the list of potential targets for Pochettino and Boehly this winter.
