Chelsea granted clear path in bid to sign Osimhen
Chelsea suffered an opening day defeat in the Premier League as Manchester City won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, courtesy of goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic in either half. While the Blues competed with the defending champions by putting out a respectable display, their inefficiency in front of goal was there for all to see.
Nicolas Jackson started as the striker but after being toothless in the final third for most of the game, he was replaced by Marc Guiu, who also failed to make any meaningful contribution on his debut. Fortunately, there is still time in the transfer window to bring in a striker and Victor Osimhen remains on the club’s radar.
Express has reported that Chelsea’s pursuit of the Napoli marksman has been handed a massive boost with Paris Saint-Germain backing out of the race to bring him in as a result of his transfer fee. Luis Enrique is set to place his trust in Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani for 2024/25, while alternative options could be considered by the Parisians for a cheaper price.
Chelsea have been playing the waiting game for Osimhen in order to get his transfer across the line on their terms. The Nigerian is on the periphery at Napoli having been excluded from Antonio Conte’s plans. He has been granted time away from the first team to make a decision on his future, which could very possibly lie in west London come the end of August.
Meanwhile, Napoli are also keen on bringing in Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea. The Serie A side’s move for the Belgian international has been dependent on what happens with Osimhen for all of the summer so far and with the transfer window entering its final stretch, both clubs are in talks to complete the transfers though the deals are being worked on separately.
Lukaku’s exit would help Chelsea bear the burden of Osimhen’s salary, which presently sits at €295,000 per week, while the Belgian has also agreed to terms with the Partenopei. All signs are pointing towards the domino eventually falling into place.
Chelsea’s impending sale of Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid will take a massive load off their shoulders as an academy product would depart. This will help them with regard to the Premier League’s PSR.
Joao Felix is set to arrive at the Bridge imminently from Los Rojiblancos and the Portuguese’s signing, along with that of Osimhen could make the Blues a very attractive attacking outfit.
