REPORT: Victor Osimhen sends fresh message to Chelsea as £145m transfer call made
Chelsea are, undoubtedly, working hard on a number of deals behind the scenes while the focus of Enzo Maresca and Co. is very much on the Club World Cup. The summer transfer window has been back open for a few days and the Blues will be looking to add to the three new signings already confirmed.
Liam Delap, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr have all sealed moves, with up to four more additions – one for each area of the pitch – now being targeted. Mike Maignan and Jamie Gittens were top targets prior to the tournament in the United States, while signing an experienced defender and centre-forward appear to be aims.
With Chelsea still wanting so many positions to have more depth, plenty of names are being linked to a Stamford Bridge switch. There are now a handful of alternatives to Gittens, while there are several possible options up front that can assist Nicolas Jackson and Delap.
Osimhen message
Long-term target Victor Osimhen continues to be linked with a move to Chelsea despite Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike appearing as the focus.
With a permanent departure from Napoli as the expectation, the Nigerian international appears to be waiting for something to happen while also enjoying his time off, judging by his latest Instagram post.
football.london says: Osimhen does not appear to be someone that lives a quiet life. How he acts away from the pitch is similar to how he performs on it and Chelsea need more characters like that.
He has much more experience playing at a high level in comparison to Sesko and Ekitike with the goal-record to back that up. Napoli’s asking price is also finally realistic with the 26-year-old definitely cheaper than Ekitike and a similar price to Sesko.
Meeting his personal demands could be tricky, though, with Chelsea’s policy to sign young players helping balance their wage structure and it is unlikely that hard work is broken by one player. However, meet a compromise on that and it is a transfer worth pursuing.
£145m Gittens alternatives
Signing Gittens from Borussia Dortmund as their wide forward addition remains Chelsea’s aim, but having had two bids rejected, it is no surprise that alternatives are being considered.
football.london understands that Joao Pedro is one of those with the Blues holding an interest and that he is one of many targets. He is likely to cost in the region of £60million with Brighton open to selling him. The Guardian have added that dialogue has been maintained with West Ham over a potential deal for Mohammed Kudus.
The Ghana international has a £85million release clause in his contract with Manchester United and Newcastle also interested.
football.london says: A few years of Premier League football can do wonders to asking prices with that evidenced by Kudus and Pedro. Both are talented footballers – but a combined £145million is quite outlandish.
Gittens is comfortably cheaper than both, although Chelsea are yet to hit Dortmund’s asking price, which certainly explains why they have kept their options open. It is clear to see why he is the main priority, however.
Kudus joining from the Hammers would mean a fourth attacking left-footer while Pedro could, potentially, be an issue. Towards the end of last season, he was omitted from a few matchday squads after altercation with Jan Paul van Hecke and considering it is the former most likely to depart, that could be telling.