Chelsea are engaged in talks with Napoli over a loan-to-buy move for Victor Osimhen as they are looking to close in on the Nigerian striker.
According to David Ornstein on The Athletic, Chelsea are in talks with Napoli over a loan-to-buy deal for star striker Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian is key to departing the former Serie A champions, with the two clubs also engaged in a deal for Romelu Lukaku in a separate agreement.
Chelsea in Victor Osimhen talks
Chelsea are in the market for a top striker, and while they are thought to be leaning towards bringing in a younger and unpolished option, they do remain interested in Victor Osimhen. While the pursuit seemed dead and buried a few weeks ago, there appears to be new life in this saga as things stand.
As Chelsea and Napoli are negotiating a transfer for unwanted Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, the two clubs have also discussed a potential loan-to-buy deal for Osimhen. The striker reportedly earns around 10 million a year following his renewal last year with the Italian side, as he has been looking for a big career move since.
Napoli had been reportedly open to having Lukaku as part of any deal, as that transaction is likely to be permanent. However, they had held a strong stance over their asking price, in the region of €100 million and €130 million, with the latter being Osimhen’s reported release clause.
Chelsea do face competition for Osimhen, with Arsenal also keen. The striker was also close to joining PSG, but the Parisians seemingly pulled out after failing to meet Napoli’s demands. Meanwhile, Osimhen’s agent has refuted claims and reported that he will leave on loan, thus ruling out such a prospect, as Fabrizio Romano reported his comments through his X post.
Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, said, “I read about ‘fantasy exchanges’ with Victor… as if he was a package to be delivered quickly”.
“This package is the top scorer of the third Scudetto in the history of Napoli”. “Respect and stop fake news!”.
Will Chelsea sign Osimhen this summer?
First, there are considerable doubts about whether Chelsea or any club will be willing to pay what Napoli demands of the 25-year-old. A loan-to-buy option makes little sense for Osimhen in terms of growing in his career, as the deal will only come with a buy option, whereas Napoli will demand a mandatory clause.
There’s enough reporting around Osimhen’s desire to emulate his hero, Didier Drogba, and hence, it’s fair to assume he would be open to joining Chelsea. Should Napoli agree on this supposed loan-to-buy deal, then the Blues have a big chance of signing Osimhen. Otherwise, it’s difficult to see this move materializing.
