Reports suggest that Napoli is prepared to enter negotiations with Chelsea regarding a potential player-plus-cash agreement involving Victor Osimhen this upcoming summer. The Italian club is seeking solutions for the situation surrounding the Nigerian striker.
Chelsea has been actively rebuilding their squad at Stamford Bridge this summer under the management of Enzo Maresca. Their new signings include Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Renato Veiga, in addition to promising young talents like Omari Kellyman, Caleb Wiley, and Marc Guiu. Furthermore, Brazilian talent Estevao is expected to join from Palmeiras next year.
Despite these acquisitions, Chelsea continues to search for attacking reinforcements. While there have been links to Aston Villa’s John Dhuran and Lille’s Jonathan David, a potential deal for their long-standing target Osimhen could now be in the works.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Napoli is actively seeking solutions for Osimhen’s situation as the player is keen on leaving. Napoli is also interested in acquiring Romelu Lukaku, potentially setting the stage for a swap deal.
Given Osimhen’s hefty £110 million price tag, Napoli would likely require an additional sum along with Lukaku in any deal, and it remains to be seen if Chelsea is open to exploring this possibility.
Osimhen has expressed his desire to depart from Napoli and has already agreed to a move to Paris Saint-Germain. However, negotiations between Napoli and the French club have hit a snag due to disagreements over the transfer fee.
With Napoli’s new manager Antonio Conte indicating that Osimhen does not feature in his plans and expressing a desire to bring in Lukaku as a replacement swiftly, the Nigerian striker was conspicuously absent from Napoli’s bench in their recent pre-season friendly against Egnatia.
Romano, on the social media platform X, mentioned PSG and Chelsea as potential destinations for Osimhen, also hinting at a potential late bid from Arsenal.
Chelsea could take advantage of this situation to address their goal-scoring deficiencies, which have become more pronounced during the pre-season, marked by a draw with League One side Wrexham FC and a loss to Celtic.
However, the high wage demands of Osimhen might present a hurdle for Chelsea, as the club has been cautious about offering substantial contracts this transfer window.