According to The Telegraph, Premier League side Chelsea has identified Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen as the top transfer target, with former Blues and Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly to broker the deal.
Chelsea has struggled with form this season, managing four wins and four draws and losing five matches from 13 Premier League matches. They currently sit in the ten position on the table, and the board hopes Osimhen’s arrival will help the team win matches.
Osimhen was last season’s Serie A top scorer with 26 goals, and his fine form helped Napoli win their first Scudetto in 33 years.
The 24-year-old has picked up from where he stopped last season and has registered six goals in 11 appearances for Napoli this season.
Napoli has been working for several months to extend his contract at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium beyond 2025. Still, Nigeria International has yet to sign a contract extension paving the way for a possible summer exit.
The 24-year-old Nigerian international is valued at over £100 million, which may surpass Chelsea’s Premier League record of £106.8 million for Enzo Fernandez. This could complicate a January transfer, but Pochettino wants to fill the position permanently.
The Telegraph claims that Kalidou Koulibaly, who left Chelsea in the summer to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, is connected to Osimhen through the club. Osimhen and Koulibaly were teammates at Napoli when the Super Eagles striker arrived from Lille in 2020, and they had a close relationship.
“Chelsea are set to make Victor Osimhen their primary target when they enter the market for a striker, with Italian sources expecting the Napoli forward to be open to a move to Stamford Bridge, ” The Telegraph reports.
“Mauricio Pochettino wants to add a centre-forward to his squad in future windows as he builds his squad, with Osimhen at the top of their list after his three seasons in Serie A where he has helped Napoli win the Scudetto.
“The Nigeria international, 24, is expected to have an asking price of well over £100 million and could break the Premier League record of £106.8 million paid by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez, which could make a January deal difficult but it is a position Pochettino wants to fill long-term.”
Napoli signed Osimhen from the French Ligue side Lille in 2020 for a deal worth around €70 million, and the Super Eagles forward has established himself as one of the best strikers in Europe.
Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli was tested this season when his representation threatened to take legal action over a video that made fun of their player and was placed on the club’s official TikTok account. According to Italian reports, the player would reportedly prefer Chelsea should he decide to leave Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
