He's better than Joao Pedro: Chelsea hold talks to sign "the new Haaland"

Chelsea securing qualification for the Champions League next season means Enzo Maresca will be able to entice a greater calibre of players to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Of course, that hasn’t exactly been a problem over the previous year or two, but returning to Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since 2022/23 should give all at the club a massive boost of confidence.

The rumour mill has already begun as several players have been linked with a move to the Blues and the window isn’t even open yet.

Indeed, Marc Guehi is reportedly a player routinely linked with a move to Chelsea and this may accelerate following their fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

Maresca is also looking for another striker or two. Victor Osimhen appears to be a key target, as does Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. The latter is available for a fee of just £30m due to his club’s relegation from the top flight.

Another player has emerged as a potential signing recently, however, as Brighton and Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro is the latest attacking player to be linked with a move to Chelsea.

Chelsea eyeing move for Joao Pedro

According to reports from Brazil last week, the Blues have made an offer worth £51m to sign the Brazilian. It appears as though the club are attempting to ‘speed up negotiations’ in a bid to have him ready for the upcoming Club World Cup which begins in June.

Pedro wasn’t involved in Brighton’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the Premier League season following a ‘training ground altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.

The Seagulls look certain to cash in on him sooner rather than later, with the Blues jumping to the front of the queue.

Since joining the club in the summer of 2023, the 23-year-old has registered 40 goal contributions in just 70 matches – 30 goals and ten assists – which represents an excellent return.

This season has been particularly productive, netting ten goals in 27 league games, and these helped the Seasiders to an eighth-place finish in the top flight.

It would be a smart signing by Maresca to bring the former Watford man back to London. He knows the Premier League and, as evidenced over the previous two seasons, knows where the back of the net is.

Money will be available for the manager, that’s for sure. But should a chunk be spent on Pedro? Or is there another option out there which might be a better long-term signing?

Chelsea have held talks over Pedro alternative

Maresca is in the market for a new centre-forward this summer and the one player he appears to be most serious about is Benjamin Sesko.

The youngster has been a target for quite some time, but now Arsenal have joined the list of potential suitors.

Sesko has a reported release clause worth £67m, and they will have to act swiftly amid reports that Arsenal are now in talks about securing a move for the RB Leipzig striker.

Journalist Simon Phillips claims that the Blues are also working hard behind the scenes to secure a move for the Slovenian international.

“The new info I have is that Arsenal are now really pushing for Benjamin Sesko as well as Chelsea,” said Phillips.

“Both clubs have held talks and laid down some groundwork to sign him. Arsenal also really like Viktor Gyokeres, but there’s a split internally there as to which striker they want to push for.”

Pedro may have 89 Premier League appearances under his belt, but the sheer raw talent of Sesko means he could be the better signing of the two.

Why Chelsea must sign Benjamin Sesko this summer

The 21-year-old made his mark at Austrian side RB Salzburg, enjoying a breakthrough season in 2022/23, scoring 18 goals in 41 appearances for the club.

This secured him a move to the German Bundesliga with Leipzig, and he hasn’t looked back since. Across 87 games for the club, he has scored 39 goals and grabbed eight assists, working out as a goal every 2.2 matches.

Following a late-season goal splurge during his debut season in Germany, U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed the striker as a “monster” for his performances in front of goal.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailed Sesko as “the new Erling Haaland” back in May 2021, and while he might not be at that level just yet, his trajectory has been trending upwards ever since.

Still only 21, Sesko has plenty of time to reach the level of Haaland, that’s for sure. Judging by the statistics, he could certainly turn out to be a better signing for Chelsea than Pedro this summer.

Indeed, according to FBref, Sesko has registered more goals and assists (18 vs 16) than the Brazilian across their respective domestic leagues.

Furthermore, he has also registered more shots per 90 (2.5 vs 1.94), boasts a higher successful take-on percentage (52% vs 33.7%) and wins a higher percentage of aerial duels (58.8% vs 48.8%) per 90 this season.

In the Bundesliga, Sesko averaged a goal every 185 minutes for Leipzig during 2024/25, while registering 0.9 shots on target per game.

In comparison, Pedro averaged a goal every 195 minutes for the Seagulls, while averaging 0.7 shots on target in the Premier League during the same time period.

Not much to choose between, but on paper, Sesko would be the perfect long-term option for Chelsea and Maresca given his high ceiling for development.

That’s not to say Pedro wouldn’t be a good signing, but if the Blues are going to be spending northwards of £50m on a striker, bringing in one who has better potential makes perfect sense.

The Blues face competition from Arsenal, but this might not pose much of a problem for Maresa, who will be keen to entice the Slovenian to Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.

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