Chelsea include devastating Prem, Bundesliga strikers on three-man shortlist to replace Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino
Chelsea have reportedly drawn up a three-man striker shortlist as they look to bring a top-class goalscorer to Stamford Bridge, and it features Brentford star Ivan Toney as well as RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko.
Chelsea were in need of a new centre-forward during the recent summer transfer window, with Mauricio Pochettino deciding Romelu Lukaku is not in his plans and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pushing for a move elsewhere.
Lukaku ended up signing for Roma on a season-long loan deal worth £5million, while Aubameyang joined Marseille on a free transfer.
The Blues replaced those big-name stars by landing Villarreal attacker Nicolas Jackson in a transfer worth just over £30m.
Jackson had a good pre-season and has featured heavily in Chelsea’s first four Premier League games of the new campaign, while also netting his first competitive goal for the club against Luton Town.
However, Jackson was guilty of a huge miss as Chelsea lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on September 2. And questions are already arising over whether the 22-year-old has enough experience to lead the Chelsea attack going forward.
READ MORE: Romano clarifies Nottingham Forest stance on £17m star amid interest from Chelsea
On September 5, the Evening Standard labelled Chelsea’s swoop for Jackson a ‘gamble’ and suggested Pochettino might try to snare Toney as a replacement. And a fresh report from GiveMeSport has backed that information up, naming Toney as a concrete target for Chelsea.
Although, Toney is not the only forward Chelsea are keeping tabs on as they have drawn up a three-man list to solve their attacking woes.
Chelsea set sights on Ivan Toney and two alternatives
Chelsea are also interested in Sesko, who was a target for Manchester United before they ended up signing Rasmus Hojlund instead.
It makes sense that Sesko has appeared on Chelsea’s radar, as he has enjoyed a great start to the season. He bagged a brace for Leipzig in their 3-0 victory over Union Berlin on September 3.
And Sesko has carried that form into the international break, too. He got on the scoresheet during Slovenia’s 4-2 win against Northern Ireland on Thursday, sending a low drive into the far corner after a nice turn in the box.
The third name on Chelsea’s wish list is Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa. The Englishman has proven himself to be a reliable Prem scorer since joining Villa in summer 2020.
He has notched at least 10 Prem goals in each of the last three seasons, and he managed 15 league strikes last term.
GiveMeSport ultimately name Toney as Pochettino’s number one striker target to replace Jackson.
Toney is currently serving a ban after being found guilty of breaching the FA’s betting rules. However, he can return to football in January and this is when we might see Chelsea launch a big-money move for him.
Meanwhile, a Ligue 1 striker has explained why he did not end up moving to Chelsea in the summer.
