After Chelsea’s unsuccessful bid to sign RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, the club is now focusing on acquiring a £65 million attacker this summer.
Sesko has renewed his contract with RB Leipzig, meaning Chelsea has missed out on securing his services.
This summer, Enzo Maresca is on the lookout for a new center-forward, and Chelsea had been heavily involved in trying to persuade Sesko to join, meeting Maresca’s demands.
Fabrizio Romano reported that the Slovenian international, who netted eighteen goals for Leipzig across all competitions last season, received offers from Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United. His £55 million release clause made him an attractive target, as goal scorers are in high demand.
Romano stated on the Here We Go podcast (via football.london) that “the first step has to be to inform RB Leipzig of his future at the club.
Leipzig presented an important contract to Sesko to be the star of the squad with an improved salary and big money.”
“He has to decide whether he wants to be the superstar of Leipzig for one more season or to leave in 2025.
He has already declined two major offers worth €30 million (£26 million) per season from Saudi Arabia, showing he wasn’t swayed by their financial allure.”
Romano also mentioned that “he has three proposals from the Premier League – Manchester United, Chelsea & Arsenal.
These three clubs have already approached Sesko and presented their project. They want him, so now it’s basically up to the player.”
As of now, Sesko has made his decision. Romano confirmed that Sesko has chosen to stay at Leipzig and will sign a new, improved contract with the Bundesliga club.
Chelsea’s transfer team must now reassess their options, still aiming to secure a prolific forward. Last season, Mauricio Pochettino relied heavily on Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson for goals, but Maresca is determined to find a new key player to lead the attack.
Chelsea is now targeting Girona and Ukraine’s Artem Dovbyk as a potential alternative to Sesko, and they have also added a former player to their transfer shortlist.
Dominic Solanke, who scored 21 goals in all competitions last season for Bournemouth, is one of the names Chelsea is considering.
According to GiveMeSport, Solanke would welcome a return to Chelsea, and his contract has a £65 million release clause that would enable Chelsea to bypass negotiations with Bournemouth.
Solanke is among several options, but he has shown openness to a Chelsea approach.
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