Arsenal and Chelsea battle over €50m star who ‘guarantees goals’

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 2 Nov 2023 14:40 GMT
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Chelsea continue to clash in the transfer market, with both clubs ready to make a move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.

The 20-year-old only completed a permanent move to the Bundesliga side from Red Bull Salzburg in the summer, with €24 million trading hands for the prospect.

Sesko, who has been dubbed the ‘next Erling Haaland’, has primarily been a replacement for the German side but has still managed to score six goals in 13 appearances in all competitions, finding the net roughly once every 65 minutes he has been on the field on average.

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Such form has attracted the interest for Arsenal and Chelsea, with both clubs seeking a striker in the January transfer market.

Arsenal need support for Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, while Chelsea need to find a source of goals, with Nico Jackson struggling on that front. Indeed, the 22-year-old Senegal international drew another blank on Wednesday in an EFL Cup encounter against Championship side Blackburn, with the Blues edging through 2-0 thanks to Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling.

According to Fichajes, the Slovenian, who is under contract until 2028, could be sold for between €45-50m, offering RB Leipzig an easy chance to double their money on the centre-forward, who can “guarantee goals”.

It reports that both Premier League clubs have “expressed interest in Sesko” along with AC Milan, though it is not thought that the Serie A club are likely to be in a position to make a move due to their finances.

Sesko is also a player who has been long associated with Manchester United, but their addition of Rasmus Hojlund, a player with a similar age profile, appears to have dampened their interest.

Arsenal vs Chelsea in the transfer market again

With Chelsea and Arsenal set to square off in the transfer market, it will be the third successive window that the London giants have fought over a major talent.

During January 2023, Mykhailo Mudryk appeared destined to move to Arsenal but performed a dramatic U-turn and went to Chelsea instead. Similarly, Moises Caicedo attracted the interest of both clubs in both transfer windows this year and moved to Stamford Bridge, although the Gunners had cooled their interest by that point after signing Declan Rice from West Ham.