Chelsea ‘make contact’ over £115m duo as Enzo Maresca given Todd Boehly transfer backing

Chelsea have made contact with the representatives of two players who could end up costing the Blues around £115 million in total, according to reports. Enzo Maresca is already working hard to improve his squad and is set to be backed by Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly in the summer market.

It has been reported that Maresca is eager to reinforce Chelsea’s forward line, with the former Leicester City boss said to be chasing not one, but two expensive additions. According to Foot Mercato, the Blues have reached out to the entourages of Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise and RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.

The report states that Chelsea are making ‘big moves’ in negotiations for both players, who are set to cost the west Londoners a significant sum. Olise is believed to be valued at around £60 million by Palace, while Sesko is thought to have a £55 million release clause in his Leipzig contract.

It is said that Chelsea consider Olise and Sesko as ‘priority targets’, with Boehly determined to provide the necessary funding to build a successful team for the new campaign. They finished sixth last season, which was a clear improvement on 2022/23 but was still not enough to save Mauricio Pochettino’s job.

Olise has been linked with a return to Chelsea for some time, having previously been a member of the Blues’ academy before leaving in 2016. He remains tied down to Palace until 2027 and is one of their most important players, but it remains to be seen if he would be willing to leave the Eagles for a return to Stamford Bridge.

Sesko, meanwhile, is widely expected to leave Leipzig this summer, but it has been reported that he would prefer a move to Arsenal over Chelsea. AC Milan have also been credited with an interest, but it remains to be seen if they would have the financial power to match his £55 million release clause.

Olise and Sesko are unlikely to be the only players that Maresca will target this summer, with the Italian boss reportedly keen on strengthening in a number of key areas. He is also said to be eager to recruit another left-back as well as a goalkeeper before the new season gets underway.

Chelsea have already agreed their first signing of the summer with Palmeiras teenager Estevao Willian set to join the Blues for a fee in the region of £51.4 million. The winger is regarded as one of the best young talents in Brazil and will become the most expensive teenage player from South America when he moves to Chelsea in 2025.