According to respected journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea could explore a pre-contract agreement to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen at the end of the campaign.
The Nigerian star recently signed a new long-term contract with the Italian champions, but he could still leave this summer due to a release clause of £112 million included in the renewal.
In an update on Simon Phillips’ Substack, Phillips has now revealed that it would be impossible for Chelsea to sign Osimhen in January and a summer transfer is more realistic.
The journalist went further to say that the Blues could secure a pre-contract agreement for next summer with Napoli, something which they did for Christopher Nkunku last winter.
Main priority
Chelsea ended 2023 on a strong note with back-to-back Premier League wins, but they still need to improve in order to get back to challenging for the Champions League positions.
A new central defender could be a main priority for the ongoing January transfer window and it has been reported today that they have opened talks to land Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice.
On the other end of the pitch, they desperately need a more reliable centre-forward than Nicolas Jackson, and Osimhen could be the perfect long-term striker for the London heavyweights.
However, a winter deal seems unlikely to happen. Osimhen’s clause is only valid in the summer. Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis won’t entertain any bids this month as the striker has just renewed.
Chelsea will have to play the waiting game to sign him and it remains to be seen whether they can convince De Laurentiis and Napoli to accept an advanced agreement for a summer transfer.
If the club want a striker next month, they could look at alternatives. Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy would be the best value for money signing. He has netted 19 goals this season and could be signed for his £15 million release clause.
