One of the positions Chelsea were pursuing following the start of the transfer window was the centre-forward role. This was due to the fact that Nicolas Jackson, who served as the club’s main striker last season, failed to make a significant impact, delivering inconsistent performances throughout the campaign. The club moved quickly to secure Liam Delap as their new number nine for a transfer fee of £30 million.
In addition to Delap, the club had been linked with several other forwards. However, following the arrival of the English international, Chelsea appears to have cooled their interest in one of those targets.
According to The Athletic, Benjamin Sesko was removed from Chelsea's wishlist once they signed Delap from Ipswich Town. Their playing styles are seen as similar, so he is no longer needed.
Chelsea had been linked with Sesko for quite some time, but with the arrival of Delap, it no longer makes much sense for the club to continue pursuing the RB Leipzig striker, who is valued at a steep transfer fee of £70 million to begin with. The Blues will likely prefer to allocate those funds to other positions that need reinforcement or a different profile of centre-forward.
Chelsea no longer in race to sign Benjamin Sesko
Chelsea’s city rivals, Arsenal, are also said to be interested in Sesko and are currently leading the race to sign him. So, while he may still arrive in London, it could be to wear the red jersey, not the royal blue one.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s new signing, Delap, has made an impressive start. He has provided an assist for Enzo Fernandez’s second goal in their match against Los Angeles FC in his debut appearance for the Blues.
It remains to be seen if Chelsea made the right call by moving on from Sesko, but one thing is for sure that Delap is a highly promising youngster with the potential to reach great heights. And do not rule out the possibility of the Blues signing another striker this summer.