Osimhen now open to shock transfer as Romano drops huge Chelsea update

Tom Weber

Updated: 28 Aug 2024 16:46 BST
4 min read

Al-Ahli are pushing for Victor Osimhen and the player is now open to the move - but Chelsea still have the upper hand, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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With just two days left in the window, the Osimhen saga is going right down to the wire. The player had been dreaming of a PSG move but the Parisians won't ignite their interest after being priced out of a move by Napoli earlier this summer.

This leaves Chelsea and Al-Ahli as the only realistic options for the wantaway striker. The latter have already presented a formal bid that Napoli are ready to accept. Far from the 25-year-old's €130 million release clause, the Serie A giants would get only €70m for their star centre-forward.

However, Napoli are desperate to get the Nigerian off the books and Al-Ahli are more than willing takers. The problem has been striking a deal with the player. Osimhen would prefer to remain in Europe and is now hoping for a Chelsea move.

Osimhen open to Saudi switch as last resort

Earlier on Wednesday, it was revealed that striking a deal with Napoli won't be an issue for Chelsea. As with Al-Ahli, personal terms are an entirely different question, but it appears that progress is being made.

Aware of this, Al-Ahli are really stepping up their pursuit of Osimhen. According to Di Marzio, the Saudi giants have improved their contract offer and the player is said to be 'opening up' to the possibility of heading to the Middle East.

Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile, states that Al-Ahli representatives are travelling to Italy in a bid to personally close the deal for Osimhen. Crucially, the new proposal includes a release clause, which was a major sticking point during the first round of talks and something Osimhen vehemently demanded.

However, the Italian transfer expert claims that the 25-year-old will only make the move to Saudi Arabia if there is no chance of joining Chelsea. The ball thus appears to be in the Blues' court.

So far, Chelsea have been unwilling to break their wage structure to accommodate Osimhen. Will they compromise to be able to sign guaranteed goals before the Friday deadline?