Exclusive: Transfer expert says “Chelsea will be there” as race for €130m striker develops

Victor Osimhen could be one of the biggest players on the move this summer and Chelsea hope to be the club that secures his signature ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Mauricio Pochettino is in desperate need of a striker and they do not come much more lethal than Osimhen, who has been on fire for Napoli over the last two seasons.

The Nigeria star is a crucial player for the Italian club and if they are to part ways with the 25-year-old, they will hope to have his release clause matched.

The fee is believed to be between €120m-€130m and that could be a problem for Chelsea given their financial fair play concerns, but Fabrizio Romano has provided an update in today’s episode of CaughtOffside’s The Debrief Podcast.

Can Chelsea afford Victor Osimhen this summer?

When asked about Chelsea, their financial concerns and Osimhen, Romano said that the Blues will try to make a deal happen.

“I think Chelsea will be there,” the transfer expert said. “The interest is still there.

“It is really important to understand what is happening; first of all with the FFP situation because Chelsea do not want to overpay, so it is important to know how much the package is going to be for Victor Osimhen.

“We already know about the release clause between €120m-€130m with Napoli so Chelsea and other clubs are waiting to see if Napoli can be flexible but usually with their president, De Laurentiis, it is usually very tough to go there and negotiate, especially for a fantastic player like Victor Osimhen.

“It will then be important to see how much Osimhen wants in terms of salary and his contract. So there are some crucial financial points to sort out before Chelsea can say ‘ok’ and go for Osimhen.”