Benjamin Sesko has decided to stay put at RB Leipzig, and thus ends one of the more tedious transfer sagas of this summer window. So where do Chelsea turn now when it comes to finding their new striker? Aston Villa hitman Jhon Duran is looking like he might be the play here.
We’ll cover him more in a bit, but for now let’s focus on Sesko.
According to The BBC, Sesko “joined RB Leipzig from RB Salzburg in 2023, signing a five-year contract that contained a £55m release clause.” He has now extended his deal until 2029, meaning Chelsea, but also Arsenal and Manchester United as well, have to move on to other targets.
And that could be Duran, 20, who could supposedly be had for about £45m, according to football.london. The Colombian moved to Aston Villa from Chicago Fire FC in January of 2023.
The Premier League club paid the Major League Soccer franchise a transfer fee that was reported to initially be £14.75m, with the potential of a further £3m in add-ons. Or, according to our sources within the club, $18 million.
He scored eight times in 27 appearances for Chicago across 2022-23. The Fire acquired him from Envigado where he achieved nine scoring strikes in 47 appearances. So far Jhon Duran hasn’t been able to replicate his MLS form in the EPL however, as he netted just five times in 35 games.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.