According to Daily Standard, Chelsea's chances of signing Victor Osimhen have improved as Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly cooled their interest in the Napoli striker. PSG, who have been Chelsea's main rivals for Osimhen, appear to have been deterred by his asking price of over £100 million.
Osimhen is expected to leave Napoli before the end of the transfer window, and Napoli are currently negotiating with Chelsea to sign Romelu Lukaku as his replacement. It seems Chelsea and Napoli are treating Lukaku and Osimhen as separate transactions, and the withdrawal of PSG as a competitor could simplify Chelsea's pursuit.
According to L'Equipe, PSG, who have been pursuing Osimhen throughout the summer, are unlikely to make a move for him in the final days of the window. An injury to PSG striker Goncalo Ramos briefly reignited speculation about Osimhen, but manager Luis Enrique is now likely to seek alternative options.
This development could significantly enhance Chelsea’s chances of securing the 25-year-old Osimhen, who has scored 76 goals in 133 appearances for Napoli over the past four seasons.
Chelsea’s new manager Enzo Maresca’s first Premier League match ended in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Nicolas Jackson started the game, with teenager Marc Guiu coming on in the second half, but neither could find the net against City, who secured victory with goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.
Despite having a squad rich in attacking talent, Osimhen would offer a valuable boost to Chelsea's forward line. He netted 31 goals in the 2022/23 season and has previous experience in Germany and France with Wolfsburg and Lille before his Serie A move in 2020.
Chelsea's squad is crowded with attackers, and Lukaku is expected to be followed out by Armando Broja, who is attracting interest from Ipswich Town among other clubs. Additionally, there is significant uncertainty surrounding Raheem Sterling’s future, as he was left out of Maresca’s matchday squad on Sunday and may need to seek more playing time elsewhere given Chelsea’s recent acquisitions.
0 Comments