Chelsea’s new manager is desperate to add a new striker to his squad before the 24/25 season begins and as per the latest rumours, Victor Osimhen is currently their number one priority.
The Blues have been linked to almost every major striker this summer but the reports are suggesting that Chelsea’s scouts think that Osimhen is the perfect candidate to lead their line for the next couple of seasons.
The Nigerian striker has been one of the best strikers in Europe over the previous two campaigns and in just 108 Serie A games, Osimhen has scored a staggering 65 goals alongside 16 assists. Despite a relationship breakdown, Napoli managed to make him sign a new contract last year which has a €120 million release clause and this happens to be the club’s biggest bargaining chip right now.
Are Chelsea serious about signing Victor Osimhen for €120m?
The massive price tag is the primary reason why not too many clubs have approached Napoli for Victor Osimhen this summer but if Chelsea are serious about signing the 25-year-old, they won’t hesitate spending over €100 million.
The new manager clearly wants to bring in someone who can make an instant impact and based on the two great seasons that Osimhen has had, the Nigerian striker should take very little time to settle down in England.
Last season, he scored 15 goals in 25 league games from 41 shots on target and he had an xG of 15.40.
Todd Boehly has not been shy from spending the big bucks since taking over but some rumours are claiming that Napoli won’t mind accepting a slightly lower transfer fee. They know very well that not many clubs can spend €120 million so if someone makes a serious approach, they can lower their demands.
Will Arsenal challenge Chelsea in this transfer race?
Arsenal are another club who have been heavily linked with the forward but according to Il Corriere dello Sport[h/t Football Italia], the Gunners will prefer Viktor Gyokeres as their primary centre-forward next season.
Gyokeres like Victor Osimhen just had a superb season with Sporting CP and the 26-year-old just has a release clause of €100 million. €20 million won’t make too much of a difference for a club like Arsenal but Gyokeres has a much lesser salary demand than the Napoli man which is the primary reason why the Gunners are not going to challenge their London rivals.
Mikel Arteta also needs to bring in a world-class striker but unlike Chelsea, Arsenal do not spend blindly in the transfer market and there’s no way they will want to get into an unnecessary transfer battle for Victor Osimhen.
