Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is one of Chelsea’s prime targets as Mauricio Pochettino looks to bring in a proven goalscorer, according to GiveMeSport (h/t Express).
Osimhen has been Napoli’s talisman for a while but really established himself as one of Europe’s best strikers last season. The 24-year-old scored 31 goals in 39 games to fire Napoli to their first Serie A title in over 30 years.
The Nigerian has hit the ground running again this season, scoring three goals in four appearances. His stunning form has caught the attention of Chelsea as GiveMeSport, via the Express, claims that Osimhen is top of Pochettino’s list as he looks to sign a top class forward.
However, Chelsea will have to spend big to sign Osimhen. As per the report, Paris Saint-Germain were interested in the Nigerian this summer but were told to table a bid in the region of £172 million.
Napoli signed Osimhen in the summer of 2020 from LOSC Lille. Subsequently, he has been one of the best strikers in Italy over the years. Therefore, seeing the Serie A champions placing a huge price tag on him is not a surprise.
Chelsea know it won’t be easy to sign the Napoli frontman so they are keeping their options open. The report says Brentofrd’s Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa are also on the Blues’ radar. At the moment, the West London club are monitoring the trio’s situation and will consider a move if an opportunity arises in January.
Chelsea need a quality number nine
At Chelsea, the number nine position has seen many players come and go since Diego Costa, but none of them have lived up to expectations. Romelu Lukaku seemed to be the answer to the Blues’ attacking woes; however, the Belgian failed during his stint in West London.
Mauricio Pochettino has had to rely on new signing Nicolas Jackson to lead the line this season. The Senegal international has been Chelsea’s main striker with Christopher Nkunku out injured.
But Jackson has left a lot to be desired with his end product, scoring just one goal in five Premier League appearances. However, there is no guarantee that the return of Nkunku or Armando Broja will fix the issues at Chelsea.
The Blues need a quality number nine to find the back of the net regularly. Osimhen fits that profile and has the talent to play for the biggest teams in the world. But whether Pochettino will be able to convince the forward to make a move to Stamford Bridge remains to be seen.
