Chelsea remain interested in Victor Osimhen Chelsea are considering a move to sign Victor Osimhen in January thanks to a break clause in his loan deal with Galatasaray, according to reports. The Napoli forward was the Blues’ top target this summer but they were unable to seal a deal despite being in negotiations with his agents until the final hours of the transfer window. Osimhen was ultimately exiled from Napoli’s squad once the deal fell through and that’s why Galatasaray were able to sign him on loan. As reported by Football Insider, Napoli have a break clause in his deal which means they can recall him in January and sell him elsewhere.
It’s claimed that the Italian club will be ‘desperate’ to receive a decent fee for the prolific striker rather than lose him on a free when his contract expires in 2026. Osimhen reportedly has a new reduced release clause of £63.3m in his contract and Chelsea could trigger it in January if they feel a new striker is a priority at that point. Chelsea are ‘closely monitoring’ Osimhen’s situation but they ‘are expected to be joined in their pursuit by a number of elite clubs across Europe and the Middle East when his price tag lowers.’
Sources have informed TEAMtalk that Napoli’s valuation was not a problem for Chelsea this summer and the deal collapsed purely because of Osimhen’s wage demands. It has been suggested that the Nigerian forward wanted £400,000 per week to join the Blues and while the London side made an excellent offer on personal terms, it still didn’t match what he wanted.
We understand that Chelsea remain interested though and as suggested by Football Insider’s report, a move could depend on how Nicolas Jackson, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku perform up front in the next few months. Enzo Maresca’s side have got off to a decent start this term, picking up seven points from their first four games. Jackson and Nkunku have scored two and one goals in the Premier League respectively, with the latter scoring a late winner against Bournemouth on Saturday night.
Chelsea is seeking a new left-back to take Ben Chilwell’s spot. In the meanwhile, Chelsea plans to shed a number of marginal players in January. The Blues made the most money of any club in Europe this summer with £147 million from player sales. To offset the £220 million spent on new arrivals, they parted ways with Conor Gallagher, Romelu Lukaku, Ian Maatsen, Omari Hutchinson, and seven other players. TEAMtalk is aware that Maresca has decided that Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, and Ben Chilwell are surplus to requirements.
Patrick Dorgu, a left-back for Lecce, is someone Chelsea is reportedly interested in signing. He may be brought in to replace Chilwell, as we exclusively reported on Saturday. Lecce has begun talks to extend Dorgu’s contract, which is now set to expire in 2027, in order to enhance his salary. Dorgu is valued at €40 million (£33.8 million) by Lecce. It would be challenging for Lecce to withstand the attention of foreign clubs in Dorgu in January, according to TEAMtalk sources. Dorgu has attracted interest from Chelsea and Tottenham, so in the upcoming months, keep a watch on him.
Osimhen might transform Chelsea’s fortunes. It’s hardly surprising that Chelsea is still keeping an eye on Osimhen because he is unquestionably one of the top strikers in Europe on his day. The 25-year-old, who scored an amazing 26 goals in 32 league games the previous season and 15 in 25 games the year before, led Napoli to the Serie A championship in 2022–2023. The following content is continued. Jackson, who scored 14 goals in the Premier League as Chelsea’s main striker the previous season, was criticized for missing several excellent opportunities.
League stats for Victor Osimhen versus Nicolas Jackson in 2023–2024 Osimhen might be the acquisition that makes Chelsea once again a contender for the Premier League title if he can maintain the level of play he has demonstrated in the Serie A. In a 5-0 victory over Rizespor on Saturday, Osimhen made his Galatasaray debut and played well, dishing out one assist. The following content is continued. The striker’s performance in the upcoming months will undoubtedly influence Chelsea’s decision to pursue him further. As the Turkish Super League is of lower caliber than the Italian top division, you would anticipate him to score a lot of goals.
