Chelsea abandoned Osimhen and turned to Sesko

Sources close to Chelsea said that the Stamford Bridge team could recruit RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko instead of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen next summer.

Osimhen is Chelsea’s top transfer target in the context that both Armando Broja and Nicolas Jackson are unsatisfactory, and the £52 million contract Christopher Nkunku faces an injury-filled season.

Not long ago, the British press even reported that the Blues were ready to break their own transfer record to recruit the Nigerian striker in the 2024 summer transfer window.

However, Chelsea’s ambitions were hit with a bucket of cold water when Osimhen recently signed a new contract with Napoli until June 2026 . The 25-year-old striker’s contract breaking clause is about 120-130 million euros and is only valid for clubs in Italy. This means that Chelsea will have to accept spending more than that amount to convince Napoli’s board to release Osimhen.

This is a huge transfer fee that makes Chelsea “falter” and the latest moves show that the London team seems to have decided to withdraw from this deal to focus on another potential name. According to British media reports, Chelsea wants to recruit RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko – who is likened to Man City’s superstar Erling Haaland.

Sesko is 20 years old, is a Slovenian international and is not a cheap contract, but is definitely worth much less than Osimhen. According to transfer expert Ben Jacobs, Sesko’s asking price is about 50 million euros.

Jacobs told CaughtOffside: “Chelsea are still looking for a striker this January, but will only do so if they find the right name. The big star they are looking for is expected to just appear in the summer, which means patience may be required.

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is still the top target this summer. Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is another player to watch and has a €50 million release clause that comes into effect this summer.”