Chelsea pursuit of Osimhen takes huge blow as PSG make stance clear

Jacque Talbot

Updated: 17 Aug 2024 17:40 BST
3 min read

Chelsea's protracted pursuit of Victor Osimhen has taken a huge blow, according to reports.

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The Napoli striker's move to Paris Saint-Germain could be back on the cards after Goncalo Ramos sustained a serious injury.

Osimhen has been linked with a move to PSG extensively, and he now could be the ideal replacement for Ramos, who reportedly needs ankle surgery.

Osimhen is also linked with a move to Chelsea but he has made it clear that PSG is his preferred destination this summer. The French giants have been pondering a move but are questioning whether to meet Napoli's price of around €100 million plus add-ons.

But they may have to go back to negotiations now one of their star strikers has picked up a season-defining injury.

RMC Sport reports that Ramos has ruptured ankle ligaments and will likely be sidelined for up to three months. Ramos, who joined PSG from Benfica for €65 million in January 2024, is a key player for the club, who may now look to bring in another attacker.

© IMAGO - Chelsea want further additions to their frontline despite having the likes of Jackson there

With Chelsea also reconsidering their stance and potentially opening up to the idea of a swap deal involving Osimhen and Romelu Lukaku, PSG may be forced to accelerate their pursuit of the Nigerian star, leading to the West London club to miss out on only one of their main targets for this summer.

If Osimhen is sold, Napoli could then reinvest the funds in acquiring Lukaku and other transfer targets to bolster their squad.

Lukaku before Osimhen for Chelsea

Chelsea expect to sell Lukaku before doing a deal for Victor Osimhen, but it's a complicated deal.

Even still, the Nigeria international striker could “absolutely” move to Stamford Bridge, according to Fabrizio Romano.

“On Victor Osimhen and Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea see these case in a separate way,” the transfer guru explained on his YouTube channel. “They’re not expected to consider a swap deal. First, they want to sort the future of Romelu Lukaku. That means reaching an agreement with Napoli because they already have an agreement with the player: it’s a three-year contract, the salary’s OK, the conversation is constant.

“The name of Victor Osimhen has been mentioned several times so the interest remains but the big story will not be today, tomorrow or this weekend. It’ll go closer to the end of the window.”