Chelsea chances of signing Benjamin Sesko have been dealt a massive blow by the news that the striker is going to sign a new contract and stay at RB Leipzig for at least one more year.
The Blues had been among the clubs chasing the talented forward, and will now be forced to return to their long list of options.
Another aspect in this is the release clause in Sesko’s contract which was partly what made him such an appealing target this summer. That could be raised or removed entirely, giving Leipzig far more bargaining power next year.
The BBC report that despite interest from all over, the Slovenia striker set to face England at the Euros in a couple of weeks, will sign a new deal to continue developing in the Bundesliga, where he scored 14 goals in 31 games last season.
This is a surprising outcome without doubt – most people were on the stage of deciding which interested club Sesko would end up at, and the chances of him staying at Leipzig felt very slim. But the striker is clearly confident in his abilities and his potential to get even better this season with another year of development under his belt.
Back to the drawing board for many clubs
It’s interesting to see where this leaves the plans of Chelsea and various other teams battling for Sesko’s signature. Players like Victor Osimhen were looking a lot less appealing because of their exorbitant price compared to the Slovenian, but that playing field has now been levelled.
The teams who needed a striker still need one, and may be forced to look further down their list now. Players like Osimhen and Ivan Toney who had fallen out of fashion and favour can now come back with a bang.