- 12 hours ago
Maresca ‘desperately wants’ Osimhen but Chelsea face triple challenge to land Napoli ace
Robin Bairner
- 15 Aug 2024 06:48 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca desperately wants Napoli striker Victor Osimhen to sign before the end of the transfer window – but it appears the Blues might have missed their chance to land the Nigeria ace.
Osimhen’s transfer saga has been running for well over a year, with clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG those who have most consistently chased the 25-year-old hitman.
Napoli have put suitors off by demanding clubs match his release clause, which stands around €120-130 million, yet this figure could be reduced in the final days of the window.
READ MORE: Victor Osimhen BEGGED to join by Chelsea legends
Current ETV
Victor Osimhen
F (C)
Napoli
Victor Osimhen
F (C)
Napoli
ETV Range
€53.3M - €88.9M
Chelsea dropped their interest for a period, yet with a couple of weeks left to buy players this summer, the Blues and manager Maresca are eager to land Osimhen to add to a centre-forward corps that includes Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu.
Samu Omorodion was also expected to sign, but that deal has fallen through, also leaving Conor Gallagher’s future in limbo. Osimhen would be the ideal solution for Maresca.
READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024: All the Done Deals
Chelsea's triple Osimhen challenge
“Victor Osimhen strongly desires to leave Napoli, he wants to have his transfer pushed through before Deadline Day. His agent is talking to various clubs and is considering many different options. The problem is that, according to our information, Osimhen only wants to join PSG,” Florian Plettenberg told Sky Sports. “He made this very clear to Napoli and his representatives.
“Though PSG would like to sign him, the issue is that they already have expensive options up top with Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos.
“He has suitors in the Premier League: Arsenal have enquired about him and Chelsea are concretely interested and have started talks with his agent. New coach Maresca desperately wants to sign Osimhen, but Osimhen is not yet playing along. He is still waiting for the PSG door to open.”
Chelsea now face the triple challenge of raising funds to buy Osimhen, having a bid accepted by Napoli and persuading the player that Stamford Bridge is a better destination than PSG.
