- 6 hours ago
Chelsea's Osimhen plan after completing Joao Felix deal: Blues ‘WILL SIGN’ striker
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 21 Aug 2024 06:31 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea may be close to signing a deal for Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix, but that will not stop Enzo Maresca’s club from pursuing Victor Osimhen.
Much has been made of the huge squad size of the Blues, yet even after swooping for the Portugal international in a transfer expected to be completed soon, they could target the Napoli hitman.
Indeed, it has been confirmed by Sky Sports that even if they are unsuccessful in a move for Osimhen, they “will try” to sign another forward to compete with Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu for the No.9 role.
Taking to X, Kaveh Solhekol confirmed: “Chelsea will try to sign a new striker during this window after they complete a deal for Joao Felix. Victor Osimhen has been a target all summer but at the moment Chelsea would not sign him on a permanent deal.”
READ MORE: Osimhen stunned as Chelsea REJECT Lukaku bid
Current ETV
Victor Osimhen
F (C)
Napoli
Victor Osimhen
F (C)
Napoli
ETV Range
€53.3M - €88.9M
What does this mean for Osimhen?
Essentially what this means is that a deal for Joao Felix will have no bearing whatsoever on their plans for Osimhen, who is a player they have been courting for months. Indeed, it was reported previously that even if Chelsea had landed Samu Omorodion before that deal broke down, they would still have chased the centre-forward.
Napoli’s extravagant asking price of €130 million for the 25-year-old Nigeria international has been an off-putting factor, resulting in the Blues plotting a loan move for the former Lille player.
READ MORE: Chelsea contract MADNESS: Blues players have a combined 191 YEARS left on their deals
It has been repeatedly confirmed, though, that Osimhen does not want to depart on loan this summer unless there is a compulsory purchase option thrown into the deal. It remains to be seen how viable this is for Chelsea, who have had trouble selling this summer.
PSG, meanwhile, remain interested in a deal for Osimhen, who they have already agreed personal terms with. An injury to Portugal centre-forward Goncalo Ramos seems to have heightened their need for the hitman, though like Chelsea, they are reticent to even come close to Napoli’s demands.
Osimhen, meanwhile, has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €71.7m and a contract that expires in June 2026.
