Talks held: Chelsea now in thrilling battle for £71m "new Erling Haaland"

Chelsea have now held talks over a deal for the “new Erling Haaland”, but a deal will not be cheap, with his current employers set to hold out for a fee of £71m, according to a report.

Blues set sights on Haaland-esque striker

Crystal Palace’s shock FA Cup final victory on Saturday ensured that Haaland is set for his first trophyless season since arriving at Manchester City, with Eberechi Eze scoring the only goal in a game that had no shortage of controversy.

The decision not to show Dean Henderson a red card for handling the ball outside the box has raised eyebrows, while there was also bemusement over the fact that Haaland opted to let Omar Marmoush take his side’s penalty, which was saved.

That said, the Norwegian’s goal record since arriving at the Etihad Stadium remains stellar, having reached the 30-goal mark in all competitions for the third season on the spin.

As such, almost any club from across Europe would be interested in signing a striker capable of emulating the 24-year-old, and Chelsea may now have found one, with a report from Spain revealing they are locked in a thrilling battle to sign RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

The Blues are fighting it out for Sesko with Premier League rivals Liverpool, but a deal will not be cheap, with the German side set to hold out for a fee of €84m (£71m), which could be a potential stumbling block, as neither English club are willing to fork out a fee in that ballpark.

The report also states that negotiations have not been easy up to this point, which suggests that talks have already been held, but it remains to be seen whether the two parties are able to come to an agreement.

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Sesko could be the “new Erling Haaland”

Such is the 21-year-old’s potential, there have been suggestions that he could progress in a similar way to the Man City star, with scout Jacek Kulig claiming he may be the “new Erling Haaland.”

While the Slovenian is yet to be as prolific as Haaland once was in the Bundesliga, he enjoyed a solid 2024-25 campaign with Leipzig, picking up 13 goals and five assists in 33 league appearances, while also impressing in the 2023-24 season.

At the moment, Chelsea seem to be some way off striking an agreement for Sesko, but should the German side be willing to lower their asking price, there are plenty of signs he could be a fantastic long-term addition for Enzo Maresca.