Osimhen says YES to Chelsea as Blues legend Drogba plays crucial role

Cameron Smith

• 5 Jan 2024 12:28 GMT
• 3 min read

Napoli forward Victor Osimhen is happy to agree a summer move to Chelsea this month, according to sensational reports.

The Nigeria star is currently on international duty ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, but he is reportedly open to reaching a pre-agreement that will see him become a Chelsea player in July.

Osimhen will not leave Napoli mid-season, but he is open to discussing a prearranged deal to join the Blues this summer, as per TEAMTalk.

The 24-year-old recently signed a new contract at Napoli, with a reported release clause of €130 million included.

Osimhen put pen to paper on a fresh deal in December, meaning he is currently contracted to Napoli until 2026. As a result, it is likely he will only leave the club if his eye-watering release clause is activated.

Chelsea have identified the Nigerian as their primary target for 2024 as they look to sign a natural goal-scorer following Nicolas Jackson’s struggles this season. The Senegalese star has seven Premier League goals in 2023-24, but several glaring misses have dominated the headlines.

TEAMTalk have now reported that the Blues have taken a major step towards signing Osimhen with the former Lille striker willing to negotiate a deal that will see him move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Didier Drogba’s role in possible Victor Osimhen-Chelsea move

Chelsea legends Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel have reportedly both spoken to Osimhen in a bid to convince him to join the Blues.

Osimhen recently appeared as a guest on Mikel’s podcast (The Obi One Podcast), while Drogba was his idol growing up.

He told the Napoli YouTube channel in 2020: “I grew up watching Didier Drogba play, he was an example for me.

“One day I was training and a man called me asking if I knew who I play like. He told me to go to YouTube and see Didier Drogba.

“There I fell in love with his way of playing and the kind of person he is. From that moment, seeing Drogba play had a major impact on my game and helped me a lot.”