Chelsea hold talks to sign £67m “menace”

Chelsea may not be in with a realistic shot at winning the Premier League title, sitting ten points adrift as it stands, but they are well on track to qualify for the Champions League.

The Blues moved up to fourth in the division, moving ahead of champions Manchester City, with a 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.

Goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella, and Noni Madueke ensured that Enzo Maresca’s side came away with all three points against the strugglers.

One player who struggled once again, though, was centre-forward Nicolas Jackson. He ended the game without a goal or an assist and missed a ‘big chance’ in front of goal.

The Senegal international has scored one goal in his last eight Premier League appearances and only scored nine goals from 10.96 xG in the division so far this season, which illustrates his big problem in the final third – finishing.

Jackson’s wasteful finishing in front of goal may be of concern to Chelsea and they are reportedly interested in a player who could come in to compete with him for a starting spot and boost Cole Palmer’s remarkable creativity levels.

Cole Palmer’s creative quality for Chelsea

Since arriving from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, the England international has been the superstar at the heart of the Chelsea team with his output at the top end of the pitch.

Palmer has racked up an eye-catching return of 39 goals and 21 assists in 69 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League giants since the start of last season, which speaks to his ability to score and create goals on a regular basis.

The left-footed wizard could, justifiably, feel that he deserves to have more assists to his name, however, as his teammates have not made the most of the high-quality chances that he has created for them in the top-flight.

As you can see in the table above, Palmer has created a whopping 35 ‘big chances’ in his Premier League career, only to be rewarded with 17 assists.

This shows that his Chelsea teammates have been incredibly wasteful in front of goal with the opportunities that his wizardry has created in the English top-flight.

So, the addition of another striker would surely go down a treat…

Chelsea eyeing £67m striker

According to Sky Sports Switzerland, the Blues have been ‘unhappy’ with Jackson’s performances in the Premier League so far this season, potentially due to his underperformance as a finisher, and have now turned their attention to RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.

The report claims that Chelsea have decided to compete with rivals Arsenal to secure a deal to sign the Slovenia international during the January transfer window, which still has more than a week left to run before it slams shut at the start of next month.

It states that the Premier League giants have already made contact with the Bundesliga side to hold talks over a potential deal for the impressive young marksman, as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the second half of the season.

The outlet adds that Sesko has reached an agreement with Leipzig that will allow him to move on from the club if a team comes in with an offer of at least €80m (£67m) for his services this month.

It does not reveal, however, whether or not Chelsea are prepared to pay £67m to sign the forward this month or if they will wait until the summer transfer window to spend that kind of money on a new number nine to compete with Jackson, despite holding talks with Leipzig already in January.

Irrespective of whether it happens now or at the end of the season, signing a clinical forward could be a dream for current Blues star Palmer, due to the creative quality he possesses in the final third.

Why Benjamin Sesko would be a dream for Cole Palmer

Palmer’s statistics in the Premier League suggest that playing alongside a clinical and effective centre-forward would be a dream for him, because that player would be able to make the most of his creativity.

Jackson’s aforementioned form in front of the goal means that he is not currently doing enough in the final third to reward the England international for the work he is doing to break down defences with his genius passes and crosses that create high-quality chances.

Sesko, however, is a ruthless number nine who can elevate Palmer’s creativity, instead of wasting it, as shown by his return of 22 goals from 13.65 xG in the Bundesliga since the start of last season.

The Slovenian marksman, who was described as a “menace” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored 14 goals from 8.60 xG in the German top-flight in the 2023/24 campaign, which speaks to his clinical nature in the final third.

As you can see in the table above, Sesko has been incredibly efficient with the little he has had to work with in the Bundesliga for Leipzig so far this term, as his team have only created 4.39 xG worth of chances for him, but he has found the back of the net eight times.

This, and his form last term, suggests that the £67m-rated star could come in as a fantastic signing for Chelsea given the quality of chances that they, and Palmer specifically, create in matches.

Therefore, Sesko could be a dream addition for Palmer in the second half of the season, or for the 2025/26 campaign, as a quality finisher who can convert the opportunities he creates.

It is now down to the board to ensure that they can beat Arsenal in the race to secure his signature, whether that is for £67m or another fee that they can negotiate.