Chelsea have reportedly joined Manchester United in the race for Red Bull Salzburg’s teenage striker Benjamin Sesko this summer.
According to Media Foot, Chelsea have entered the race to sign Red Bull Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko, who is also a transfer target for the Blues’ arch-rivals Manchester United this summer.
Sesko joined Salzburg from Slovenian outfit NK Domzale in the summer of 2019, but spent his first couple of seasons in Austria largely playing for FC Liefering, who operate as Salzburg’s reserve side. The 19-year-old made his senior debut for the Austrian giants last year and has since gone onto feature 38 times in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and setting up eight more.
Sesko has made a sprightly start to the 2022/23 campaign in Austria, already bagging a couple of goals and an assist in two matches in all competitions. While he is still at the nascent stages of his career, the teenage sensation has attracted a lot of eyeballs due to his potential and promise, with the striker even dubbed the new ‘Erling Haaland’ in some corners.
Manchester United have taken a strong interest in Sesko this summer as qquestion marks continue to linger over the future of Cristiano Ronaldouestion marks continue to linger over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo. The 37-year-old is keen on an exit from Old Trafford this summer and after holding crunch talks earlier this week has requested the club to release him.
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have found some form in the pre-season but it goes without saying that Manchester United will need to add another No. 9 in the eventuality of Ronaldo’s exit, having already lost Edinson Cavani. To that end, Sesko has emerged as a prospective target for the Red Devils.
However, Chelsea are now set to rival Manchester United for the signing of the 19-year-old Slovenian international, who has two goals in 19 caps for his country. The Blues are also on the lookout for a new No. 9 after having gotten rid of Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian striker has returned to Inter Milan on loan while Timo Werner could also be on his way to Italy amidst interest from Juventus.
So, even though they have signed Raheem Sterling, Chelsea are in the market for another forward and have set their sights on Sesko as a possible target. Salzburg, however, have no intentions of selling their prized asset this summer, which could make things difficult for both Chelsea and Manchester United in their pursuit of the teenage sensation.
Furthermore, it has also been claimed that the 19-year-old would prefer to join Real Madrid over any other club, which would be another complication for the Premier League giants as they look to reinforce their attacking units.
