Chelsea 'prepared' to trigger Arsenal & Man Utd target's release clause

Chelsea are ready to activate the £56m release clause of highly sought after striker Benjamin Sesko, according to a report.

The Blues are in the market for a new forward and though they have long been linked with Napoli's Victor Osimhen, his release clause in excess of £100m could prove a fatal stumbling block in that pursuit.

90min first revealed back in April that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United were all weighing up moves for Sesko, with his current club, RB Leipzig, open to a sale. At the time, Sesko's release clause stood at £42m and Leipzig were happy to negotiate a deal at that price even if paid over several years, but the Slovenian's fine end-of-season form has seen this price jump to £56m.

The Evening Standard now report that Chelsea are willing to jump the queue and pay this fee up front if they ultimately decide to sanction a move for Sesko.

Despite this stance, Arsenal are said to believe they are the ones in the driving seat and have an 'early edge', though they may matter little if Chelsea force their way in and activate the 21-year-old's clause outright.

Chelsea may be on the lookout for a new striker, but they did manage to score an impressive 77 goals during the 2023/24 Premier League season - only the top three registered more, while this was a massive improvement on their 2022/23 tally of 38.

Summer signing Nicolas Jackson, despite receiving plenty of criticism for his finishing woes, scored 17 times for the Blues across all competitions, including 14 in 35 Premier League matches.

Though Jackson is expected to stay at Chelsea, Armando Broja - who spent the second half of the season on loan at Fulham - could be sold.

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