According to ESPN, Chelsea has added Napoli forward Victor Osimhen to their list of potential January targets.
Chelsea are looking for a center-forward and are already keeping an eye on Brentford’s Ivan Toney, who is also garnering interest from Arsenal, according to ESPN on September 26.
Osimhen established himself as one of Europe’s most dynamic strikers last season, scoring 26 goals in 32 league games as Napoli won their first Serie A title since 1990.
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That form, which has continued into this season with six goals in ten games, has led Napoli to value Osimhen at roughly £120 million ($147.7 million), which is around £40 million more than Toney’s estimate.
Chelsea are hoping to have Christopher Nkunku, a £52 million summer signing from Red Bull Leipzig, available early in the New Year following knee surgery to rival Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja to lead their attack but want to strengthen their options despite spending exceeding £1 billion this season under owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
It is uncertain whether Chelsea or Arsenal will publicly pursue Osimhen in January – Real Madrid have also been linked – and much will depend on how negotiations with Brentford over Toney develop.
Napoli are hoping to keep Osimhen until at least next summer as they try to lock him down to a new deal, but talks have stalled, first over the magnitude of the release clause the player wants included, but then over a TikTok post the club later deleted.
The club’s official account appeared to mock Osimhen after he missed a penalty in last month’s 0-0 draw with Bologna, an act that drew condemnation from the player’s agent, Roberto Calenda, and a formal apologies from Napoli authorities.
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