- 21 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Watkins lined up as Osimhen ‘Plan B’ for Chelsea
Steve Kay
- Updated: 2 May 2025 08:39 CDT
- 4 min read
Exclusive
Chelsea have approached Aston Villa over the potential signing of Ollie Watkins in case a deal for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen breaks down, FootballTransfers has been told by sources close to the club.
The Blues, who claimed a 4-1 Conference League win over Djurgarden on Thursday, are in the market for a centre-forward in the summer, with Nigeria hitman Osimhen top of their list.
But there are fears that the striker’s wage demands, which saw a deal fall apart last August, could block the move from going through once again, prompting Chelsea to look at other options.
One of the tracks that they are exploring is Aston Villa and England No.9 Watkins.
Current ETV
Ollie Watkins
F (C)
Aston Villa
Ollie Watkins
F (C)
Aston Villa
ETV Range
€55.2M - €67.5M
Chelsea ready to pay what Villa are asking
Unai Emery’s side have put a €70 million (£60m) asking price on the head of the 29-year-old striker, who is under contract at Villa Park until 2028. FootballTransfers understands that Chelsea are willing to match this figure, despite Watkins not being the typical profile of a BlueCo signing as he is 29 years old.
The former Brentford player is liable to be a significant player on the transfer market this summer, with Arsenal having pursued a deal for him during January. No agreement was made with Aston Villa over his transfer fee and the move fell apart. This does not appear to be an issue with Chelsea willing to match the Birmingham side’s asking price.
Arsenal could revisit a deal for Watkins while Man Utd have explored the possibility of a swap involving Marcus Rashford.
Osimhen wants Blues move
Watkins is Chelsea’s backup option behind Osimhen.
Reports in Italy in recent days suggest that the Nigeria international’s likeliest destination is the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Hilal ready to take advantage of a discount Napoli are offering if the deal is pushed through in June.
Osimhen, though, still prefers a move to Chelsea, with Nigeria legend John Obi Mikel revealing that Stamford Bridge is the striker’s preferred destination.
Speaking to beIN Sports, he said: “He [Osimhen] wants to play for Chelsea. I hope [he’ll be playing] somewhere in the Premier League.
"I know where we [Chelsea] stopped in terms of the contract, I know where we are. It’s an easy fix, because we’ve done all the hard work last summer. It’s so easy to just pick it up and then the deal is done."
Chelsea are preparing for the eventuality that Osimhen doesn’t sign, with Watkins lined up as an able replacement.
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