Chelsea are believed to be increasingly lacking in confidence over completing the signing of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer.
Will Osimhen leave Napoli this summer?
The future of the Nigerian rising star is a big talking point at the moment, with a number of top clubs eyeing up a move for him at the end of the season. He is enjoying a superb season for Napoli, playing a huge part in their imminent Serie A title triumph – their first since way back in 1990.
Osimhen has scored 21 goals in just 23 league starts in 2022/23, not to mention netting five times in the Champions League, and his absence through injury against AC Milan in the quarter-final first leg arguably cost his side dearly as they eventually bowed out of the competition.
Chelsea are one of the teams who have been most regularly linked with a summer move for Osimhen, with the Blues badly in need of an out-and-out striker this summer. Now, a concerning update has emerged from their perspective, however, as their chances of signing the 24-year-old look to have taken a hit.
Will Chelsea sign Osimhen?
According to Football Insider reporter Pete O'Rourke, sharing news from his sources at the club, Chelsea are "shrinking in confidence" when it comes to their hopes of bringing in Osimhen in the summer transfer window. While the Blues plan on snapping up a "marquee striker to lead the line" between now and the beginning of next season, "Napoli have placed a price tag of over £100million on their star forward, and Chelsea’s financial issues have made a deal extremely difficult to complete".
In order to be able to afford the 23-cap Nigeria international, the club would need to make a number of sales this summer, with the move now looking increasingly unlikely to come to fruition.
This is an undoubted blow for Chelsea, with Osimhen someone who would be absolutely perfect for them, having been lauded as "phenomenal" by Walter Mazzarri in the past, scoring 54 goals in just 94 appearances for Napoli. He has even been compared to Blues legend Didier Drogba, in terms of style, so his physical nature could be perfect for the Premier League.
It looks as though they may have to look at other targets, though, and given Osimhen's potential as a player, he really could end up proving to be one that got away, should Chelsea fail to snap him up in the summer window.
