Chelsea and Arsenal face a setback in their transfer plans as the release clause for the player dubbed ‘the next Erling Haaland’ experiences a sharp increase.
Despite their divergent campaigns, both clubs share a common struggle in the form of a lack of a prolific striker. Nicolas Jackson’s disappointing season at Stamford Bridge has been overshadowed by midfielder Cole Palmer, while Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, though showing improvement, falls short of being a consistent goal scorer.
Both London clubs have set their sights on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, drawing parallels between him and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
Sesko, 20, has made a notable impact in his debut season in Germany, tallying 16 goals and two assists across 40 appearances. His knack for scoring has been evident since his U15 days in Slovenia, where he netted an impressive 59 goals in 23 matches.
However, securing Sesko’s services might prove more costly than initially anticipated due to a performance-based release clause in his contract. Initially set at €50 million (£43m), the clause has escalated to €65m (£55.7m) following a strong second half of the season, influenced by factors like playing time, goals, and assists.
Sky Sports journalist Philipp Hinze suggests that clubs vying for Sesko’s signature might need to shell out as much as €75m (£64.3m).
AC Milan has also expressed interest in the young striker, who is set to face England in the Euro 2024 group stages.
While Manchester City secured Erling Haaland for around £52m in 2022 via a release clause, it’s anticipated that the winning bidder for Sesko’s services will likely surpass that figure significantly.
Arsenal and Chelsea suffer transfer blow as release clause of ‘the next Erling Haaland’ spikes
