February 09, (THEWILL) – Chelsea are reportedly looking to reinforce their squad in the 2023 summer transfer window and have set their sights on Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, as the top target.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s removal from their UEFA Champions League squad and Kai Havertz’s struggle to fill the void in attack, Chelsea is eager to add more firepower to its roster. Chelsea’s new ownership has been known for its big spending, as was evident in January. They are prepared to sign a new striker and aim to win the race for Osimhen.
The Nigerian international has been in impressive form for Napoli, scoring 16 goals in 17 games, which has led to interest from a cross-section of Europe’s elite clubs. Napoli, however, are demanding a fee close to €150m for Osimhen, who has two years remaining on his contract. Chelsea are expected to negotiate this fee by offering a number of players in exchange including Romelu Lukaku. But, Napoli president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, has warned Osimhen’s suitors that the striker is not for sale.
Still, Chelsea are preparing for negotiations over Osimhen, while they continue scouting alternative targets including Ivan Toney of Brentford, Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt, and Goncalo Ramos of Benfica. Chelsea have also kept an eye on Dusan Vlahovic’s situation at Juventus and are monitoring Marcus Thuram of Borussia Monchengladbach in the winter transfer window.
However, Osimhen remains Chelsea’s top target and the club is prepared to flex its financial muscle to fend off interest from Europe’s biggest teams. It raises some concerns about their adherence to the Financial Fairplay regulations, especially in light of the revelations from a multi-year investigation into Manchester City’s transactions.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
