Chelsea are ‘in the mix’ to sign prolific Nigerian international centre-forward Victor Osimhen from Galatasaray next summer, according to TEAMtalk.
Osimhen has established himself as one of Europe’s most consistent and prolific centre-forwards in recent years.
A quality frequently linked with Lagos-born Nigerians is the capacity to adapt and succeed in any setting, and Osimhen displayed exactly that following his move to Galatasaray, where he has played an instrumental role in helping the club secure their 25th and 26th Süper Lig titles.
Despite arriving three weeks after the season had already started, the striker still claimed the 2024–25 Gol Kralı award after finishing as the division’s leading scorer with 26 goals.
Having also produced 30 goal contributions across all competitions for Galatasaray, he is once again expected to become one of the most in-demand forwards next summer, with multiple clubs, including Chelsea, eyeing a move.
This is according to TEAMtalk, which claims that Osimhen’s camp and intermediaries are exploring potential destinations for the centre-forward, with Chelsea also ‘in the mix’ following the arrival of Xabi Alonso.
While the Nigerian has also been presented to other clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Blues remain firmly in the race, having held a long-standing interest in the prolific forward, the report adds.
Prolific forward
The London giants are in need of a clinical, quality centre-forward, and despite missing out on Champions League football next season, believe Alonso’s reputation and tactical astuteness could help attract elite talents like Osimhen to Stamford Bridge, according to the report.
However, TEAMtalk adds that Galatasaray are resolved to retaining the 6ft 1in forward at RAMS Park beyond the summer, and it’ll only take an astronomical £87m offer for the Istanbul-based outfit to consider his sale amid interest from Chelsea.
Since his breakthrough with Nigeria’s golden eaglets, where he won the U17 World Cup top scorer with a record-setting ten goals, Osimhen has shown an exceptional level of consistent goalscoring form that not many forwards in Europe can boast of.
After finishing as the fourth top scorer in his first season with Lille, he went on to win the Serie A top scorer award with Napoli in the 2022-23 season after a return of 26 goals and recorded the same number of goals last season to win the Turkish Süper Lig top scorer award.
Should Chelsea agree to a deal, Osimhen could hand Xabi Alonso a relentless, Diego Costa-esque forward who is not only a prolific scorer but also a dominant one who stirs havoc in opponents’ defences.
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