Graham Potter would have grabbed the majority of the headlines ahead of Chelsea ’s UEFA Champions League fixture with RB Salzburg on Wednesday as he prepared to take charge of his first game as the Blues’ manager.
But those who happened to cast their eye over the opposition may have noticed a familiar name in the starting lineup, as Benjamin Sesko prepared for his Premier League audition after being linked with a number of top flight clubs in the summer transfer window.
The £60million-rated 19-year-old had been a target for Chelsea and Manchester United and he offered glimpses of just why some of the world’s biggest clubs have been chasing his signature with a classy display in the 1-1 draw.
Ironically, Sesko had initially been named on the substitutes' bench by Matthias Jaisle, but was thrown into the starting lineup following an injury to fellow striker Fernando during the warm-ups at Stamford Bridge, giving him an opportunity to impress from the start.
The Slovenian international failed to find the back of the net as Salzburg grabbed a valuable point in west London, but he caught the eye for his professional performance with and without the ball throughout the contest nonetheless.
Despite being just 19-years-old, Sesko was putting in an impressive shift against the likes of heavily experienced duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva, and using his 6ft 5in frame to the fullest to outmuscle his opponents and stay on his own two feet.
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He executed that perfectly at one point during the game when Reece James came in for a strong tackle, yet Sesko remained upright - something that not many can often do when challenged by the England international.
Some impressive touches, movement without the ball and constant pressing from the forward showed just why people have been comparing him to Erling Haaland, while his speed and acceleration is very rarely seen for someone of his stature.
Although there was no goal to show for his performance, his substitution after 70 minutes would have been a welcome relief for the home fans inside the stadium as Salzburg began pressing for their equaliser, even if they got back on level terms five minutes later.
Should Salzburg fail to make it into the knockout stages, or even the Europa League via a third-place finish in the group, then that may well be Sesko’s final appearance on English soil until next season at least, but he certainly made a promising impression.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly would have been watching intently on Wednesday night, while those at United will have also seen glimpses of what they could have had this season if they weren’t consistently knocked back by the Austrian Bundesliga outfit over the summer.
Sesko is due to join Salzburg’s sister club RB Leipzig next summer for £55m after opting to remain with the Red Bull group, moving to the Bundesliga just as Haaland did following his brief stay at Salzburg. But if he produces similar numbers to what the Manchester City striker did, a move to the Premier League could happen sooner than expected.
