Despite having Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja, Chelsea are on the hunt for another centre-forward in January. Jackson has seven goals from 17 games this season while Broja has one goal from eight, so he’s deemed expendable.
Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen are two players on Chelsea’s radar ahead of the transfer window opening. Steve Kay of Football Transfers says Todd Boehly is willing to break their transfer record to sign the latter too.
Who is Osimhen?
Osimhen joined Napoli from LOSC Lille in 2020 and has 65 goals with 16 assists from 115 games. The 24-year-old has 20 goals from 27 games for the Nigerian international team too, so he’s been consistent for years.
Osimhen got the attention of Chelsea after scoring 26 league goals in 2022/23 as Napoli won the Serie A title. He’s netted six goals in 11 league games this season, though injuries have hampered his form.
The Nigerian international had an uncertain future at Napoli after alleged social media abuse, but things were patched up. Osimhen is too valuable a player for Napoli to willingly sell too, so Chelsea may have a tough task convincing them in January.
Clubs are hesitant to disrupt their squad midway through the season, not least because there’s less time to sign replacements. And with Napoli currently outside of the top-four, they can’t afford to weaken their side.
Why would he leave Napoli?
Osimhen’s contract uncertainty hasn’t been resolved and puts Napoli in a difficult position. The 24-year-old has 18 months remaining on his deal, but things haven’t progressed since the summer. Napoli likely won’t sell in January but may have a decision to make at the end of the season.
Gli Azzurri may have to cash in or risk losing Osimhen for nothing in 2024 if he doesn’t sign a new deal. This gives Chelsea hope, but the prolific Nigerian won’t come cheap as one of Europe’s hottest strikers.
Osimhen was reported to have a £150m asking price in the past but may be sold for closer to £100m. And if Boehly is willing to smash Chelsea’s transfer record (£106.8m on Enzo Fernandez), nothing is stopping them signing him.
In other news, Chelsea have given an injury update ahead of their meeting with Everton
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