Chelsea given emergency Osimhen war chest as Boehly gets desperate

Robin Bairner

• 11 Jan 2024 07:07 GMT
• 2 min read

Victor Osimhen could yet move to Chelsea in the January transfer window, with the Blues increasingly desperate to arrest the momentum of what threatens to be another disappointing season.

Although owners BlueCo have invested more than €1 billion in players at Chelsea since taking charge less than two years ago, the club finds itself in the middle of the Premier League standings with no prospects of reaching the Champions League next season.

Furthermore, a surprise 1-0 loss to Middlesborough in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final threatens to deprive Mauricio Pochettino's side of an expected trip to Wembley.

Fingers are being pointed at the attack after numerous chances were missed against Boro, which is where Napoli striker Osimhen could come in.

Offensively, Chelsea have improved under Pochettino this season, yet only West Ham and misfiring Manchester United have scored fewer goals in the Premier League’s top 10 than the Blues.

A centre forward was on the cards for the summer, but according to the Daily Mail, there are plans afoot to bring the assault on Osimhen forward by six months.

The Nigeria international is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, like Nicolas Jackson, who has been leading the Blues’ line for much of this season. Chelsea, meanwhile, reportedly have their eye on an exit clause in the player’s Napoli deal that could see him depart for €120 million this month.

Osimhen keen on switch

Osimhen is open to a move to Chelsea and had been expected to sign a new deal in Italy to help protect his value before an eventual summer transfer.

The former Lille striker, though, has been involved in a number of controversies in recent months, the latest of which came on Wednesday, when he launched an attacked an attack on the agent of teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who he branded a “piece of filth”.

While this was not a direct assault on Napoli, it would tend to indicate that all is not calm in Osimhen’s mind, opening the door for Chelsea to make an unlikely January move.