hen it comes to striker options at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea doesn’t quite have the luxury of the past; the days of Didier Drogba and Diego Costa being the Blues’ lucky charms are long gone.
Currently, Armando Broja sits in reserve for a rare opportunity to shine, as Mauricio Pochettino’s team depends on a patchwork Nicolas Jackson to lead the line efficiently for the struggling Premier League club.
In order to strengthen the squad, the Blues may prioritise adding a new striker during the forthcoming transfer window. Pochettino’s team is reportedly interested in this Bundesliga attacker.
According to recent rumours from 90min, Benjamin Sesko, a forward for RB Leipzig, is attracting interest from several Premier League clubs this January. Chelsea is just one of many teams who are keen to sign the young Slovenian.
Along with the Blues, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Newcastle United are all tempted by the former RB Salzburg sharpshooter and may rekindle their prior interest.
Sesko’s difficult tenure at Leipzig, where he has only started three games for the German team this season, may make it more likely that the 20-year-old may look for fresh pastures soon. 90min has also reported that Sesko is eager to leave Leipzig.
Chelsea may try to emulate Newcastle’s success by making a move for Sesko. The Magpies bought Isak from Real Sociedad, where he had previously struggled with German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund before blossoming upon his transfer to Tyneside.
If the Blues are successful in their pursuit of the talented 20-year-old, they will be hoping for a similar outcome. It is anticipated that Sesko will go to west London next month for a cost of over £40 million.
Sesko and Isak, who were both wide-eyed teens learning the ropes at their respective first clubs, Salzburg and AIK, respectively, were both thrown into the spotlight at a very young age.
Apart from this relationship, the two forwards also play similarly on the pitch, taking use of their enormous 6’4″ statures as attackers.
However, the players in issue are surprisingly quick and nimble, and they are everything from conventional target-men.
Both forwards have a clinical approach as well. According to FBRef, Sesko has seven shots on goal this season out of just 13 total shots registered, and Isak has an equally astounding 11 from 24 shots registered.
Despite playing little, Sesko has managed three goals in the league, showing glimpses of his former Salzburg potency, when he scored 16 goals in his final season in Austria with just 30 games played.
One aspect of Sesko’s diverse skill set that will have pleased Chelsea and other teams interested in him is his coolness in front of goal. The 6 foot 4 attacker has even been dubbed a “machine” by football journalist Antonio Mango.
Jackson, in sharp contrast, has taken 41 shots overall at Stamford Bridge and has only scored four more goals than his Leipzig rival this season.
In other areas of the Chelsea striker’s game, the youthful Slovenian prospect outperforms Jackson and would provide competitive opposition if signed.
In terms of successful take-ons per ninety minutes over the past year, the 20-year-old outperforms Jackson, averaging 1.81 compared to Jackson’s marginally lower 1.74.
In terms of his progressive play with the ball, the current Leipzig player and the former Villarreal player are neck and neck. Sesko only loses out to Jackson’s outstanding 2.54 with 1.81 progressive carries.
Chelsea will consider if it is worth it to risk all on Sesko in January after seeing Newcastle’s choice to shell out a lot of money for Isak. The Blues will be hoping that Sesko can be a similar figurehead for them, as they can only improve in England.
