It is no secret, Chelsea need a new striker in the summer.
The Blues, after making the decision to allow Romelu Lukaku to return to Inter Milan last year, are without an outright centre-forward. Kai Havertz and Atletico Madrid’s on-loan Joao Felix have been tasked with leading the Blues’ line, but neither appears to have the physical presence or tactical awareness to be a consistent enough goalscorer.
For this reason, just like Erik Ten Hag’s attacking problems at Manchester United, Chelsea are expected to target a new striker once the summer transfer window opens later this year.
And Napoli’s Victor Osimhen seems to be the player most admired by US billionaire owner Todd Boehly. The Nigerian has enjoyed a fantastic campaign in Naples, scoring 26 goals, including five in the Champions League, in 31 appearances, in all competitions.
Victor Osimhen transfer to Chelsea in doubt
Consequently, following his incredible form that has seen him become one of Europe’s most devasting forwards, the 24-year-old is set to become one of this summer’s biggest transfer sagas.
However, the possibility of Chelsea luring Napoli’s number nine to Stamford Bridge is shrinking. According to a recent report from Football Insider, there are significant concerns that the Blues will not be able to comply with Financial Fair Play rules given Napoli’s sky-high valuation of over £100m. In fact, the potential deal has been described as ‘financially impossible’.
Boehly has spent well over £600m in the last two transfer windows, and with the side heading for European exile next season, in order to invest more into the squad, the Londoners must first offload players of their own, and that is not going to be easy considering the underwhelming campaign the majority of their squad have endured.