Manchester United face a battle against two unnamed clubs to sign Red Bull Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko this summer, with Chelsea rumoured to have held a meeting with the player's representatives.
Chelsea have added Raheem Sterling to their attacking options in the summer transfer window with the Blues focusing more on strengthening their defence following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. Romelu Lukaku's return to Inter Milan and uncertainty over Timo Werner's future could see the west London outfit add another attacker to their ranks before the transfer deadline.
football.london understands the Blues are open to letting Werner leave the club this summer and are exploring the possibility of using the German forward as a makeweight as part of a swap-deal for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol. Sesko is one option Chelsea could explore with the Slovenian striker attracting interest from United.
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According to Fabrizio Romano, United know they need to be fast if they are to secure a deal for the 19-year-old with two unnamed clubs also pursuing a deal for Sesko. Reports at the weekend suggested Chelsea owner Todd Boehly had met with the player's representatives as Thomas Tuchel continues to be backed in the transfer market.
The Slovenian striker scored 10 goals and provided a further seven assists for Salzburg last season, making a total of 36 appearances for the Austrian outfit. football.london understands the Blues are set to challenge United for the signing of Barcelona superstar Frenkie de Jong after the club opened direct talks with the Catalan giants this week.
Chelsea struggled for goals last term with Mason Mount being the club's top scorer in the Premier League, and football.london understands Tuchel is keen to add more creativity to his squad in an attempt to challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title. Boehly has one eye on the future of the club with the Blues having agreed a £20million deal to sign Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa, preparing for the eventuality that N'Golo Kante and Jorginho move on with both midfielders entering the final year of their deals at Stamford Bridge.
Sesko could be a part of that planning, as well as being a quality option to add to Tuchel's squad should Werner follow Lukaku out of the club.
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