EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea reject Osimhen and turn attention to Dovbyk

Steve Kay

• Updated: 4 Jun 2024 06:13 CDT
• 4 min read

Exclusive

Chelsea have turned their attention to Girona forward Artem Dovbyk after ending their long-term interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, sources have indicated to FootballTransfers.

The Ukrainian has been an outstanding acquisition for Girona since his arrival last summer from Dnipro-1 for fee of €7 million, , scoring 24 goals and providing eight assists in La Liga across 36 appearances, making him the league’s top-scorer.

Chelsea, who finished in the top six of the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, are continuing their plans to strengthen their squad for the next term. They have identified the forward as a key target to team up with his fellow countryman and international teammate Mykhaylo Mudryk.

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The 26-year-old Dovbyk has a release clause in his Girona contract valued at €40m, which would represent a significantly lower fee than Osimhen.

Enzo Maresca joins Chelsea as head coach

It comes after the news that the Blues have appointed Enzo Maresca as their new head coach. The Italian is considered to be one of the most promising young managers in world football and his experience as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City has no doubt helped his coaching journey.

The Italian is a stubborn adherent to a possession-based system and criticism has even been levelled at him for his lack of a ‘Plan B.’ Maresca has a footballing philosophy and he isn’t particularly willing to move away from that, regardless of whether his team is struggling in any given match.

However, he was able to implement his style of play immediately at Leicester - an extremely difficult feat to achieve - and it saw the Foxes race into a 19-point lead at the top of the Championship table in February. They subsequently lost seven of their final 14 games and only won the title by a mere point, but Maresca has been heavily praised by those who have worked under him.

In March, Harry Winks even admitted Maresca was the best manager he’d ever worked under, with regards to his tactical insight and his man-management skills.

In terms of his preferred system, Maresca likes to build up with a back three shape in possession, with one full-back tucking inside to become a third centre-back and the other moving into a double pivot in midfield.

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This is a tactic that has become vastly popular in the English game in recent years, and Maresca believes it neutralises the threat his team faces when they lose possession.

The ex-Man City assistant values a possession-heavy style and this system helped Leicester win the Championship title during Maresca’s first full season in senior management.

He may not be an experienced option, but Maresca is highly-talented and his style of play aligns perfectly with how Chelsea’s owners want the Blues to operate.