Since the days of Diego Costa, Chelsea have struggled to find a long-term solution for the number nine issue.
Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and even Tammy Abraham have all tried, but none of them were able to prove a success. It says it all that only Lukaku, although sparingly, remains on their books in 2024.
Nicolas Jackson is the latest striker at Stamford Bridge, and in fairness to the 22-year-old, he’s netted 14 Premier League goals in his debut campaign.
However, Todd Boehly is still keen to bolster the position with a true centre forward, one that has the potential to make Cole Palmer even better than he already is.
Chelsea’s search for a true finisher
As per a report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are plotting a move to sign Benjamin Sesko.
The Slovenian striker has declined a move to Saudi Arabia, and he still has a new contract offer from his current club, RB Leipzig.
However, Sesko is reportedly “taking some time to decide his future,” as he has a huge decision in his hands.
This is because Chelsea have approached the centre forward, as well as Arsenal and Manchester United.
Yet, as per journalist Simon Phillips, it is Chelsea who are willing to pay his £56m release clause, having already offered personal terms.
Why Sesko would make Palmer even better
It’s fair to say that nobody would have predicted that Palmer to have accomplished so much during an insane first season at Chelsea, especially given that he’d started just twice in the league for Manchester City the season prior.
However, he quickly became the Blues’ best player, scoring the most goals for the club in a single Premier League season for over a decade.
The attacking midfielder scored an impressive 22 goals and provided 11 assists while starting just 29 league games, which is clearly a scintillating return.
However, his numbers could have been even better, particularly in regards to his creative output, as he created 17 big chances, which is clearly more than his actual assists, and this is exactly where Sesko could make Palmer unstoppable.
|
Sesko vs Jackson 23/24 League Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per game) |
Sesko |
Jackson |
|
Goals |
0.83 |
0.45 |
|
xG |
0.45 |
0.60 |
|
Shots |
2.77 |
2.57 |
|
Goals/Shot |
0.30 |
0.18 |
|
Touches (Att pen) |
5.13 |
4.86 |
|
Passes completed |
12.68 |
16.56 |
|
Via FBref |
||
As you can see, Sesko is the definition of a true goalscorer, whose only objective is to leave the pitch with his name on the scoresheet.
Last season, his record was absolutely fantastic, scoring 14 goals in 17 Bundesliga starts, which equates to 0.83 goals per game, a far better return than Jackson’s, for example.
What’s obvious about the Leipzig striker is that he’s a ridiculous finisher who’s able to score from positions that would be deemed impossible, as shown by his xG-to-goals ratio and his goals-to-shot ratio.
Given that Palmer is Chelsea’s biggest creator, playing alongside a striker who thrives inside the box and is a reliable goalscorer would make him unstoppable, as he would always have a target to rely upon and aim for.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old loves to play on the shoulder of the defender rather than constantly dropping deeper to get on the ball, which will give Palmer more space to operate in central areas where he can hurt the opposition via his attempts from range and excellent vision.
Another aspect of Sesko’s game that makes him an “insane” forward, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is the fact that he can press from the front while also being deadly on the counterattack due to his speed and movement, and with Palmer supplying him, he’d be unrelenting inside the penalty box.
Overall, signing Sesko seems like a move that could return Chelsea to their glory days, securing them silverware and Champions League football at a minimum.
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