Chelsea could yet revive their interest in RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko before the end of the transfer window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Speaking to Alex Goldberg (quotes via Chelsea.news), Jacobs said that the Blues may consider bidding for the Slovenian if they manage to offload two forwards first:
“If Chelsea sell Nicolas Jackson AND Christopher Nkunku, then you maybe could see Chelsea pivot back to someone like Benjamin Sesko even though they ruled him out before, because they may feel like they need two out and out proper number 9s.”
Jackson has been linked with Manchester United, Aston Villa and even Liverpool in recent days, while Nkunku could potentially return to Germany.
How much would it cost to sign Sesko?
There have been conflicting reports over whether the 22-year-old has a release clause in his contract but it is believed that Leipzig would sell the player for around €80m (£69m).
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With Chelsea demanding upwards of £60m for Jackson and at least £34m for Nkunku, the numbers do add up.
Chelsea won’t have competition from a Premier League rival
Arsenal did open talks with Leipzig about signing Sesko earlier this summer, but they were not willing to match the forward’s asking price. They ultimately decided to make a move for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres instead.
As things stands, negotiations with Sporting are ongoing so there is still a small chance that the deal could collapse. If that happens, the Gunners may re-enter the race for Sesko but, for now, Enzo Maresca’s side won’t have any competitition for the striker.
Of course, as Jacobs points out, a lot hinges on whether unwanted players can be offloaded before the transfer deadline on September 1st.
In other news, Chelsea could be offered a swap deal involving Jackson and a Manchester United winger