3 possible destinations for Benjamin Sesko | Premier League 2023-24
Benjamin Sesko entered the fray at Red Bull Salzburg when Erling Haaland was breaking records for fun at Borussia Dortmund. Although he never played with the current Manchester City striker, comparisons were drawn due to their similar exploits in Austria, where the 21-year-old scored 29 goals from 79 appearances.
Sesko was on the radar of English supergiants such as Manchester United and Chelsea. Instead, he opted to sign for the sister club Red Bull Leipzig last summer, focusing on gradual improvement rather than jumping the ship too early in his career.
Since joining the German outfit, the forward has found the net 18 times and assisted his teammate twice in what has proved to be a good debut season with Die Rotten Bullen. With three big clubs interested in the Slovenian, he might be swayed by a move away from Saxony.
In this article, we shall discuss three possible destinations for Benjamin Sesko.
#1 Chelsea
Despite Nicolas Jackson's emergence during the business end of the season, Chelsea are on the lookout for a striker to bolster their forward line further. The Senegalese international ended the season with 15 goals, only two fewer than Benjamin Sesko. However, the latter was deadly in front of the goal by hitting the back of the net 14 times in the league from an accumulated expected goal (XG) of 7.7 compared to Jackson's 15 goals from an XG of 18.6. This statistic highlights the importance of acquiring a clinical forward.
Having already spent more than a billion since taking over the club, Todd Boehly will be desperate to taste success with the Blues this campaign. It will be interesting to witness their approach in the transfer market.
#2 Manchester United
Much like Chelsea, Manchester United secured the signature of Rasmus Hojlund after missing out on Benjamin Sesko during the summer of 2023. The Red Devils have struggled to feed the Danish international effectively, resulting in expected goals (XG) of 7.6 from 25 starts in the Premier League. He found the back of the net 10 times.
United will be focussing on strengthening numerous positions after their recent signings such as Antony and Jadon Sancho have struggled to find their footing at Old Trafford. With Rasmus Hojlund already at the club, the chances of splashing a huge sum on a striker might be lower. However, a release clause of €65 million might be tempting for the English giants.
#3 Arsenal
Arsenal have shown concrete interest in the forward after making inquiries, according to the Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg. The Slovenian will fit in like a glove at the Emirates Stadium given the volume of the Gunners' attacking intent, although Mikel Arteta will demand extensive defensive work from his forwards.
Given Gabriel Jesus' injury woes and Eddie Nketiah's failure to break into the starting eleven, Arteta is considering the possibility of landing a talented number 9. This adds more intrigue to the rumors.
Although Declan Rice popped up with important goals throughout the campaign, the Gunners will hope to reduce his burden after signing a proper center-forward. It could potentially lead them to the title after missing out on the crown by two points last campaign.