Chelsea eye up £43m star with the “speed of Mbappe”, he’d be even better than Osimhen
It’s no secret that Chelsea has been searching for a replacement center forward for a number of months, with Victor Osimhen of Napoli being the top candidate to take his place.
The 25-year-old Nigerian forward has scored 12 goals in 19 Serie A games this season, but his outstanding play has not gone unnoticed, as teams like Arsenal and PSG are interested in signing him.
Any transfer for Osimhen, meanwhile, will cost a lot because the Italian team is reportedly willing to go with the talented striker for at least £112 million.
There’s little doubt about his ability to find the back of the net, but should Chelsea try and sign the attacker, it would be the club’s third £100m+ signing in just over two years following the arrivals of Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo.
The Londoners may be at risk of potential punishment from the Premier League after losing £90m during 2022/23, with the Blues potentially unable to meet the PSR rules implemented.
Therefore, Mauricio Pochettino’s side should potentially look for a cheaper alternative to help combat their efforts, with the club already linked with another talented forward.
Chelsea’s Osimhen alternative
According to journalist Rudi Galetti, the Blues are “monitoring” RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, with the 20-year-old scoring 12 goals in all competitions this season.
The Slovenian international has a £43m release clause in his contract, which has caught the attention of Chelsea, Arsenal and Napoli – should Osimhen depart the Italian side.
Sesko only joined the Bundesliga team from sister club RB Salzburg back in July 2023, after scoring 29 times in 79 games for the Austrian outfit.
In his first full season in one of Europe’s top five leagues, the youngster has done an admirable job given his tender age – prompting interest from the aforementioned sides.
He’s a clinical goalscorer with a great eye for goal, with the Blues potentially needing to prioritise a deal for the Leipzig man given his impressive debut season in Germany.
Sesko v Osimhen in 2023/24
Whilst the Nigerian has scored four more league goals than Sesko during the current campaign, that’s the only aspect of his game he has outperformed the 20-year-old, with Sesko dominating in all-round play.
Despite scoring more goals, Osimhen trails the Slovenian for his conversion rate, with Napoli’s talisman only converting 24% of his chances compared to Sesko’s tally of 28%, as per Squawka.
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The youngster also boasts a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate, with his tally 62% more accurate than Osimhen’s 57% despite the 25-year-old’s better goalscoring record.
Notwithstanding the fact the 20-year-old is more of an aerial threat, as demonstrated by his tally of 56% aerial duels won, he’s also dominated the Nigerian with the ball at his feet, completing 5% more of the take-ons he’s attempted this season.
As represented in the table, Leipzig’s striker has been caught offside 20 times less than Osimhen – demonstrating that the youngster is more aware of his surroundings in comparison to the proven goalscorer.
Given the five-year age gap and £70m difference in price tag, Chelsea should look to pursue a move for the Leipzig forward, with Sesko able to offer much more than the Napoli striker in terms of his all-round play. Just think about his frightening pace too; he really is the complete package.
£43m is a bargain for a player of his ability and potential, giving the Blues a long-term solution to their goalscoring problems and potentially allowing them to make a hefty profit down the line.