Chelsea are preparing for the next summer transfer window after a poor first season under Mauricio Pochettino’s command.
Chelsea are likely to rekindle their interest in Victor Osimhen, with the club willing to trade Napoli’s forgotten man Romelu Lukaku in return.
Osimhen led Napoli to the Serie A title last season, earning Italy’s golden boot award in the process. However, while the Nigerian has continued to score, his team’s championship defence has been dismal.
They are tenth in the Serie A league, 39 points behind current champions Inter Milan. With European football off the table for next season, it looks that Osimhen is ready to move on.
According to Sky Sport Italia, Chelsea has made ‘first contact’ with Napoli over Osimhen’s future. The Blues are reportedly attempting to broker a deal for up to £77 million in which Lukaku and a young player would transfer to Italy in exchange for Osimhen.
Lukaku is apparently a goal for Napoli’s new sports director, Giovanni Manna, who previously attempted to recruit him for Juventus. While discussions are ongoing, ‘the will’ of both Osimhen and Lukaku must be appraised.
Before moving forward with their transfer intentions, Napoli must first find a new coach. Stefano Pioli, Vincenzo Italiano, Gian Piero Gasperini, and Antonio Conte are all contenders, with the latter rumoured to be an admirer of Lukaku.
Regardless of this, Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has already stated that he expects Osimhen will leave this summer. He rated the striker among the club’s finest performers and indicated he would not stand in the way of a sale.
“Victor is another outstanding player for Napoli. In January, De Laurentiis stated, “We had (Edinson) Cavani, (Gonzalo) Higuain, (Ezequiel) Lavezzi, and (Dries) Mertens; we had a lot of excellent guys.
“And there are others who are interested in Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea.” So you can’t stop them, especially if they have a set amount of money that they can spend.
“Osimhen is an excellent player, but Napoli is a tremendous club. Certain players, like as Marek Hamsik, fell in love with Napoli and stayed for 11 years. Or for eight years, as others have.
“He’s got a release clause. It’s a large sum of money. Who knows who will depart; we shall see. Money is the last issue for Napoli. We always made excellent acquisitions, as we had in the past.
“We’ll do it in the future. The problem is simply one of sentimentality. When you watch a player go, it’s as if he were a son. You’re also thrilled if this son achieves great success elsewhere.”
