Chelsea eyeing £43m striker who could be even better than Osimhen
The club are looking to strengthen their forward line this summer.
It is no secret that Chelsea have been after a new centre-forward for many months now, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen the main name rumoured to fill the void.
The Nigerian forward has bagged 12 times in 19 Serie A appearances this campaign, but his sensational season hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the likes of Arsenal and PSG also interested in signing the 25-year-old.
However, any deal for Osimhen will be an expensive one, with the Italian side holding out for at least a reported £112m to part ways with the clinical striker.
His talent to score goals is undeniable, but if Chelsea were to attempt to acquire him, it would be their third acquisition of a player valued at $100 million or more in less than two years, after Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández.
The Premier League may sanction the Londoners after they lost £90 million in 2022–2023 because the Blues might not have been able to comply with the PSR regulations.
With the club already connected to another gifted forward, Mauricio Pochettino’s team may need to search for a less expensive option to aid in their attempts.
Chelsea’s Osimhen alternative
Journalist Rudi Galetti claims that the Blues are “monitoring” Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig, a 20-year-old who has scored 12 goals this season across all competitions.
Chelsea, Arsenal, and Napoli are interested in the Slovenian international due to a £43 million release clause in his contract, should he decide to leave the Italian team.
Sesko only made the switch to the Bundesliga from sister team RB Salzburg in July 2023, having scored 29 goals in 79 matches for the Austrian squad.
Considering his youth, the young player has performed admirably in his first full season in one of Europe’s top five leagues, drawing interest from the aforementioned teams.
With his excellent debut season in Germany, Leipzig is a clinical goalscorer with a terrific eye for goal, so the Blues may need to give a deal for him top priority.
Sesko v Osimhen in 2023/24
Although the Nigerian has scored four more league goals than Sesko this season, it is the only area of his game where the 20-year-old has exceeded the Nigerian; Sesko has excelled in other areas of the game.
Osimhen’s conversion rate is worse than Sesko’s, even though he has scored more goals. According to Squawka, Osimhen converts just 24% of his opportunities, while Sesko converts 28%. Osimhen plays for Napoli.
Although Osimhen has a stronger goal scoring record, the youthful player also has a greater shot-on-target accuracy rate, with his total 62% more accurate than Osimhen’s 57%.
Even while the 20-year-old is more of an aerial threat—as evidenced by his 56% aerial duels won—he has outperformed the Nigerian when the ball is at his feet, finishing 5% more take-ons this season.
Leipzig’s striker has been flagged offside 20 times fewer times than Osimhen, as the table illustrates, showing that the youth player is more mindful of his surroundings than the experienced goal scorer.
Sesko is able to offer far more than the Napoli striker in terms of his all-around ability, therefore Chelsea should aim to pursue a move for the Leipzig front given the five-year age difference and £70 million price differential. Consider his incredible speed as well; he truly is the whole package.
For a player of his caliber and potential, £43m is an incredible deal that will provide the Blues with a long-term answer to their goal-scoring issues as well as the chance to turn a sizable profit in the future.