Chelsea’s Osimhen transfer prospects revealed by Broja stance
Robin Bairner
- 29 Nov 2023 08:48 GMT
- 3 min read
Chelsea are seeking to seal a January transfer deal for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, with the Blues ready to go all-out to sign the Nigeria star.
Osimhen to Chelsea would represent a blockbuster deal – probably surpassing the €121 million world record that the Stamford Bridge side paid for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez during the same period a year ago.
It would be a transfer that would shake the football world given how prolific the Nigeria international forward has been in recent seasons.
But while media reports indicate that Chelsea are bullish over the prospects of landing the 24-year-old, privately it appears that they are more cautious about the deal.
The Blues have had a habit of getting who they want. This was perfectly demonstrated last January when they spent big to land Fernandez and outmuscled Arsenal to sign Mykhailo Mudryk. As if to underscore the point, they again showed their transfer strength to Moises Caicedo from Brighton in the summer.
Rejection is not something they are used to.
Chelsea to bide time for Osimhen deal?
On Osimhen, though, it appears that Chelsea are at least willing to show patience.
This is demonstrated by the case of Armando Broja, presently their second-choice centre forward behind summer signing Nicolas Jackson.
Broja is linked with a move to Fulham, but the Standard reports that he will not be sold in January.
If Chelsea really were bullish over signing Osimhen, the fate of the 22-year-old would effectively be sealed by the arrival of a player expected to become the most expensive in club history.
This caution suggests that the Osimhen deal is unlikely to be imminent.
That does not, however, mean that it won’t be done. The striker’s contract is up in 2025, and with his relationship with Napoli having grown frosty in recent months, the prospect of him signing a new deal looks increasingly scant.
The door to Osimhen is open for Chelsea, and even if it cannot be forced in January, which they will surely try, the prospect of a summer transfer remains a hot one.
