Chelsea’s pursuit of Osimhen continues

Chelsea continues to pursue a deal for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, contrary to reports that they had shifted their focus to other attacking targets.

Aurelio De Laurentiis, Napoli’s president, has revealed that Victor Osimhen is on his way out, a decision that comes despite the club’s efforts to secure him to a long-term contract until 2026.

However, Osimhen’s contract reportedly includes a release clause valued at approximately £113 million, which, if activated by an interested party in the coming weeks, would render Napoli unable to prevent his departure.

Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Arsenal have been considered the leading contenders to sign the Nigeria international, although the Gunners will certainly not shell out a nine-figure sum to acquire his services.

Meanwhile, a recent report claimed that new Blues boss Enzo Maresca did not view Osimhen as an ideal fit for his system, instead seeking a striker who can drop deep and link play rather than an out-and-out target man.

Concerns over breaching Profit and Sustainability rules could also hinder Chelsea’s ability to sign Osimhen, who has been tipped to fill the boots of Real Madrid-bound Kylian Mbappe at PSG.

However, CaughtOffside claims that Chelsea have not given up on trying to lure the 25-year-old to Stamford Bridge and are making ‘slow progress’ in their attempts to win the heated race.

While PSG’s interest in Osimhen is well-documented, the Ligue 1 champions are apparently yet to lodge an offer for the striker, but it remains to be seen if Napoli relent on their £113m demands.

The Blues may have an ace up their sleeve, though, as Napoli – now under the wing of Antonio Conte – are supposedly keen on bringing Romelu Lukaku to the club as a replacement for Osimhen.

The Belgium international excelled at Inter Milan with Conte at the helm but has failed to replicate his form in his second spell at Chelsea, who are desperate to offload him for good this summer.

Chelsea may accept a significant financial loss by selling Romelu Lukaku, who was re-signed for £97.5m, for a reduced price of £37m in the summer transfer window.

Should the Lukaku deal not come to fruition, Napoli will turn its attention to other potential replacements, such as Artem Dovbyk and Santiago Gimenez, who are on the club’s radar.

Punch