Even without the allure of Champions League play next season, Chelsea is convinced they can win the hunt for Napoli attacker Victor Osimhen, 90min understands.
Following months of scouting the Nigerian international, Osimhen has been named Chelsea’s top striker target for 2023, as was revealed in February. Club officials are preparing what would likely be a club-record bid to bring the 24-year-old to Stamford Bridge.
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Osimhen, who leads Serie A with 21 goals in 23 games for Napoli this season, is also reportedly attracting interest from Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United, all of which are said to have spoken with the striker’s representation.
However, sources have told 90min that Chelsea is confident that even without the promise of Champions League play next season, they can outbid their opponents and persuade Osimhen to transfer to London.
Osimhen is interested in moving to the capital of England as well as the opportunity to play for Chelsea like his childhood hero, Ivorian striker Didier Drogba, who is regarded as one of the club’s all-time greatest players.
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Osimhen would still want to transfer to Stamford Bridge, according to Chelsea, and the Blues are willing to outbid rival teams with a massive club-record offer for the striker.
Osimhen’s entourage is still in communication with Manchester United, but the Red Devils are now more interested in signing Tottenham striker Harry Kane than they are in competing with Bayern Munich for the Nigerian’s services.
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around PSG, the French club’s interest in Osimhen is not near as advanced as that of Chelsea, who have been working behind the scenes for months. This is due to uncertainty around the future of manager Christophe Galtier.
Osimhen’s hiring, which would be partially funded by a number of transactions, is still expected by sources close to Chelsea. Conor Gallagher, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, and Hakim Ziyech are a few of the most well-known athletes whose Stamford Bridge careers could end this summer.
If Mason Mount continues to reject a contract extension, he might also be a target for a sale this summer, but Chelsea has newfound optimism about securing the midfielder’s future before a new round of negotiations.
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The Frenchman is thought to be a better match for the role behind a central striker, thus Chelsea wants to pair him up with Osimhen. The Blues are eager to rebuild their underperforming forward line and have already finalized a deal for RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku.
