Nicholas Jackson had a lukewarm debut season at Chelsea, leading the Blues to hunt for a centre-forward this summer. Reports suggested Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen were two players Todd Boehly wanted the most.
Toney had a £50m asking price and was coming off the back of a disappointing campaign. He made a name for himself with 20 Premier League goals in 2022/23, but Toney didn’t come close in 2023/24. He scored just four league goals and turned 28.
Osimhen also shone in 2023, scoring 26 league goals before slumping a season later with 15. He has a £67m asking price and £500k-per-week wage demands, but he’s three years younger.
Chelsea have been linked with the pair all summer without making significant progress in negotiations, but that may have changed. The transfer window nears its conclusion and Chelsea have reportedly pulled out of a deal for Toney to sign Osimhen.
What does the report say?
Fraser Gillan of TEAMtalk says Chelsea are in talks with Napoli over a £60m deal for Osimhen. Napoli are happy to sell, acquiring Romelu Lukaku as his replacement, and Chelsea will sign Osimhen for the right price.
Chelsea are confident of getting a deal over the line, but personal terms might prove a stumbling block. Osimhen is asking for £26m-a-year, which would make him Chelsea’s highest earner by some distance, so that’s difficult.
His arrival would be bad news for Jackson too, as he would be expecting a starting berth. Chelsea wouldn’t invest so much money for a player to warm the bench every week.
The Blues aren’t afraid to spend money, but it remains to be seen if they’ll break the wage structure. Maresca has Jackson, Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu who can lead the line. He also has five other forwards who can operate in a makeshift striker role in an emergency.
Osimhen would be a dream signing for Chelsea, but he might be deemed too expensive.
