Chelsea need to ramp up curiosity in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen after the Nigeria worldwide handed in a switch request over the weekend.
The Nigerian worldwide has lengthy been linked with a transfer away from the membership, having joined them from Lille in the summertime of 2020.
Chelsea have held a long-standing curiosity in Osimhen and have beforehand held talks with the Italian aspect over a possible swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku.
New Napoli supervisor Antonio Conte is eager to reunite with Lukaku after the pair received Serie A collectively at Inter Milan in 2021, with the Belgian striker having struggled since returning to Stamford Bridge later that yr.
Paris Saint-Germain had been beforehand thought to have been main the race for Osimhen however their talks are believed to have stalled over a charge.
It stays to be seen whether or not or not Chelsea do ultimately make a transfer, with the Blues having beforehand been unwilling to pay his launch clause, believed to be price over £100m.
Nonetheless, Osimhen is decided to go away Naples this summer time and sporting director Giovanni Manna confirmed over the weekend: “Victor Osimhen has requested to go away the membership. He desires to go.
“The state of affairs is evident, there have been already probabilities for his exit final summer time. Victor desires to go away. We are going to see within the subsequent 20 days.”
In the meantime, Chelsea supervisor, Enzo Maresca, is seeking to trim down his bloated squad as the brand new season approaches.
Maresca is making ready for his first season at Stamford Bridge, after changing Mauricio Pochettino this summer time.
Having inherited a big squad, Maresca now desires to chop it all the way down to a manageable dimension.
It’s believed Chelsea are hoping to have a first-team squad of round 23 or 24 outfield gamers.
The Blues have welcomed six new faces to Stamford Bridge below Enzo Maresca’s management, because the membership continues its speedy evolution below BlueCo’s possession. The brand new signings are getting acquainted throughout a pre-season tour of the USA, with a major variety of gamers left behind in London.
There are a number of gamers that Chelsea hopes to dump, a few of whom had been additionally on the promoting block final summer time. Malang Sarr has already had his contract terminated to facilitate his transfer to RC Lens.
Sarr, who arrived on a free switch, was a part of Thomas Tuchel’s Membership World Cup-winning squad. Unable to safe a transfer final yr, the Frenchman educated individually from the primary crew all through the season. Each events had been eager to keep away from a repeat of the 2023/24 state of affairs, and Sarr agreed to forgo any compensation.
Sarr wasn’t the one participant Chelsea struggled to promote final summer time. Romelu Lukaku remained separate from the squad as he sought a transfer, however solely managed to safe a mortgage to Roma.
The Belgian striker is as soon as once more hoping for a switch, with Napoli potential suitors. This might result in a reunion with former Chelsea and Inter Milan supervisor Antonio Conte.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was loaned to Actual Madrid on the eve of final season, is prone to depart Chelsea within the coming weeks as his contract in west London winds down.
Chelsea have additionally made their intentions clear concerning Trevoh Chalobah. The defender, who was notably absent from Maresca’s squad that travelled to the US, is anticipated to be offered for a tidy revenue.
Conor Gallagher, whose present deal expires in lower than a yr, was up on the market final summer time and stays obtainable. Regardless of being admired by Mauricio Pochettino, the England worldwide is but to affix Chelsea’s squad following his Euro 2024 exploits however has attracted curiosity from Atletico Madrid.
