Chelsea have cooled their past transfer interest in Corinthians wonderkid Gabriel Moscardo as they’re now focused on signing a new striker this January, with Napoli forward Victor Osimhen the priority target.
This is according to Ben Jacobs as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, with the journalist explaining that Chelsea may now struggle to afford Moscardo as well as a top striker like Osimhen.
The Nigeria international looks ideal for Chelsea’s needs at the moment, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side not threatening enough up front, with young players like Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja not looking quite up to the standard required for a club of this size.
Osimhen, by contrast, has been one of the finest strikers in Europe in recent years, and played a star role in firing Napoli to the title in Serie A last year.
Moscardo may well be a top talent who fits the profile of the kind of player this Chelsea ownership like to sign, but Jacobs’ claims that he’s no longer a priority seem to add up.
“Chelsea have, as it stands, decided not to rival PSG for Moscardo. We heard some reports in Brazil saying a deal was done to take Moscardo to Stamford Bridge, but this was firmly denied by those close to both the player and Chelsea,” Jacobs said.
“Chelsea know they have to be a bit more economical now with transfers, especially if they want to move for an elite striker. Perhaps Moscardo was the kind of deal they would have pushed more aggressively last January, but the priority now is outgoings, to keep the squad size the same or get it smaller, and to get a bit more proven talent for the second half of the season.”
On strikers, Jacobs added: “Gyokeres is not Chelsea’s top striker target. Victor Osimhen is still being explored, and Ivan Toney has divided opinion internally at Stamford Bridge but certainly some fans.
“Chelsea won’t make any final decision until right at the start of the window after they have seen Nkunku play a few games.”