Chelsea have entered the race for Red Bull Salzburg hot shot Benjamin Sesko in another blow to Manchester United's transfer hopes.
The Blues already look to have muscled their way in on negotiations involving Frenkie de Jong and are confident they can get a deal for the Barcelona star over the line before the deadline. Now ESPN claim Chelsea have made initial enquiries to Salzburg for 19-year-old striker Sesko with a view to wrapping up a transfer this month.
The Slovenian teenager has been attracting interest from across Europe amid comparisons with Erling Haaland and has already got off the mark in the Austrian league this season with a goal in Salzburg's opening win. United are already believed to have held talks over signing Sesko, but the lure of Champions League football at Stamford Bridge could prove tempting.
Chelsea are also thin on the ground in terms of recognised frontmen, with Timo Werner, Kai Havertz or Armando Broja the options available to lead the line, though none are deemed a long-term solution by boss Thomas Tuchel. The departure of Romelu Lukaku has opened a space in Tuchel's squad and the Blues see Sesko as an ideal target.
Former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is option on their radar after Barca reportedly offered him up for transfer. Aubameyang only moved to Camp Nou in January and has hit the ground running, but his chances could now be limited following the arrivals of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Barcelona need to offload players in order to cut costs so they can register their new signings, with Aubameyang and De Jong two players they deem expendable. De Jong is dragging his heels over an exit, however, due to a dispute over £15million in unpaid wages which he agreed to be deferred.
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Chelsea are willing to add the cost of the wages onto the overall transfer fee, though De Jong is still reluctant to leave as he is happy in Barcelona. United have been in discussions with the Dutch midfielder for months but he is keen to remain in the Champions League and favours a move to London over Manchester should he decide to leave Spain.
Losing out on two targets to Chelsea would be a huge blow for United, who are now lining up alternatives for De Jong as they begin to accept its a lost cause. Leicester City's Youri Tielemans and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Ruben Neves are two players they are looking at.
Meanwhile Chelsea continue to spend Todd Boehly's riches following their summer takeover. Despite already forking out oveer £100m, the Blues are expected to complete the signing of Marc Cucurella from Brighton in a £52.5m deal. Manchester City had been pursuing the left-back but refused to pay the Seagulls more than £40m for his services.
Chelsea are also continuing their efforts to prise Wesley Fofana from Leicester. The Foxes have already knocked back a £60m bid as they value the 21-year-old at closer to £85m.
