Victor Osimhen is being tipped to make a move to Chelsea in 2024
Chelsea are being tipped to beat Premier League rivals Arsenal to the signing of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen for a cut-price fee next summer.
The prolific Nigeria international will be out of contract in 2025, meaning next summer will be the last opportunity for Napoli to command a large transfer fee for their star performer.
The Serie A side have also stalled in their hopes of convincing Osimhen to sign a new contract, prompting suitors to step up their interest.
Napoli set their asking price for the striker at £170million over the summer but that figure is likely to drop significantly in 2024 as his contract starts to run down.
Add in the fact the player and his agent are angry about a series of social media videos that were posted by the club after his penalty miss against Bologna, and Osimhen appears almost certain to move on – it’s just a matter of when and where he goes next.
Osimhen’s agent has publicly threatened legal action against the Italian club, who released a statement claiming there was “no intention of mockery or derision” with the social media posts.
Football Insider revealed late last month that Chelsea are best placed to strike a deal ahead of the Gunners.
The Blues are known to be long-term admirers of the forward, having tried to sign him in the summer of 2022 and in January before Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival.
Osimhen carries on prolific form
So far this season, Osimhen has scored four goals in seven games across all competitions for Napoli.
Last term, the prolific frontman notched 31 times as Napoli cruised to their first Serie A title win since 1990. Overall, he’s scored 102 goals in 199 club career games, as well as netting 20 times in 26 appearances for Nigeria.
Chelsea’s need for goals has been there for all to see as they currently sit 15th in the Premier League with only five points on the board and the pressure mounting on Pochettino.
Expensive summer signing Christopher Nkunku is expected to be sidelined until the end of the year, while Nicolas Jackson has not quite settled yet despite scoring twice for the club in his eight games so far.
Beating Arsenal to Osimhen would be a major coup for Boehly, however much will depend on what state the two clubs are in come next summer.
On current form, Arsenal look firm favourites to qualify for the Champions League again ahead of the Blues, unless there is a massive turnaround under Pochettino.
