Chelsea's Osimhen alternative set to cost €100m

Cameron Smith

• 9 Apr 2024 18:00 BST
• 3 min read

RB Leipzig are set to demand €100 million for Belgium striker Lois Openda amid interest from Chelsea and Liverpool.

The 24-year-old joined Leipzig for an initial €38.5m from RC Lens last summer and he has netted 25 goals in 39 games during his debut campaign in Germany.

Openda is now on the radar of both Chelsea and Liverpool, according to Sacha Tavolieri (via Fichajes), with both Premier League giants interested in acquiring him this summer.

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The ex-Lens man will have a release clause worth €80m inserted into his Leipzig contract in 2025, but such clause does not exist yet. As a result, he could be available this summer.

However, German outlet BILD have reported that RB Leipzig will demand at least €100m for Openda if Chelsea, Liverpool or any other interested clubs want to sign him once the 2023-24 season concludes.

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Lois Openda to join Chelsea or Liverpool?

Openda was tentatively linked with a big-money Premier League move before joining Leipzig last summer, but he is set to cost even more if any team is serious about pursuing him in 2024.

The 24-year-old recently admitted that he has taken tips off Thierry Henry, during the Arsenal legend’s time with Belgium’s national team.

“I put too much pressure on myself by thinking that I absolutely have to score. It's not necessary and it's something that Thierry Henry also passed on to me when he was still part of the technical staff [at Belgium]. He told me that I was too tense when I touched the ball and that I had to stay calmer,” Openda revealed to Pickx Sports in February.

“Players like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane have a killer mentality and the ambition to be the best. I also want to cultivate this mentality. I want to become one of the best strikers in the world and I know I can do it because of the confidence I have.”

Although Leipzig are set to demand €100m for Openda this summer, his current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €63.1m, having risen by roughly €35m in the past year.