Chelsea decide ‘only’ way to sign Osimhen as £45m PL alternative is tipped to ‘prefer’ Boehly offer
According to reports, Chelsea are ‘still monitoring’ Napoli forward Victor Osimhen as his move to Stamford Bridge is deemed a ‘possibility’.
Chelsea are among the biggest spenders in Europe this summer, but they still lack a world-class striker.
Nicolas Jackson started up front against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. The raw striker showed signs of promise last season but was criticised at times and Chelsea could certainly do with an upgrade.
The Premier League giants have been heavily linked with Osimhen in recent years and he’s expected to leave Napoli before this transfer window closes at the end of this month.
Injuries impacted Osimhen last season but he was still arguably Napoli’s best player as they endured a miserable campaign. He grabbed 15 goals in his 25 Serie A matches.
Napoli’s asking price has priced Osimhen out of a move elsewhere in recent windows and there is a release clause of around £110m in his current contract.
Despite this, a transfer is deemed more likely this summer as Osimhen has made it clear he wants to leave amid links with Chelsea, PSG and Arsenal.
READ: Joao Felix is the most laughable of all Chelsea signings
As mentioned, the imminent return of Felix is laughable, but the potential arrival of Osimhen would boost morale at Stamford Bridge.
A report from The Athletic claims Chelsea are ‘only prepared to pursue a loan deal’ and this ‘remains a possibility’.
‘Chelsea are still monitoring striker Victor Osimhen’s situation at Italian club Napoli, but they are only prepared to pursue a loan deal rather than a permanent transfer in what remains of this window.
‘This is a scenario they are aware does not interest the player at this stage. Any arrival will be independent of fellow striker Romelu Lukaku’s potential move the other way.
‘Osimhen and Napoli are likely to explore alternative options first. A loan to Stamford Bridge remains a possibility, and Chelsea are prepared to keep that door open until the end of the window in case the 25-year-old Nigeria international has a change of heart.’
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Brentford’s Ivan Toney has also been mooted as a potential target and a report from The Sun claims Chelsea ‘could yet to be tempted into a late swoop’ even though Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli are ‘set to launch a second offer’.
‘The Bees had valued Toney at around £70m at the start of the summer but are prepared to drop the price to as low as £45m. This comes as interest in the 28-year-old from Premier League sides is reportedly waning.
‘Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been linked with the forward. But now only Chelsea remain in the hunt, according to a source close to the Stamford Bridge club.
‘He is thought to prefer the idea of remaining in England and has openly told those close to him he thinks his best years are ahead of him.
‘Although a move to Saudi Arabia would be financially life-changing a late bid from Chelsea could persuade him against such a switch.
‘According to reports today, Al-Ahli of the Saudi Pro League are weighing up whether to increase their bid for Toney after an opening offer in the region of £35m was rejected, with both the club and Brentford confident that a deal could be done.’
