Chelsea are speaking to a European club about signing a £70 million alternative to Napoli star Victor Osimhen, as co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley scour the market for strikers.
Chelsea in talks with Napoli over Lukaku and Osimhen part-exchange
Earlier this week, some very interesting news came to light that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and their sporting director Giovanni Manna are becoming more open to the possibility of negotiating Osimhen as part of a deal to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Serie A permanently.
£16.8 million man agrees to join Chelsea as Boehly seals another signing
He looks set to be their tenth addition of the window.
ByEmilio GalantiniAug 1, 2024
Fabrizio Romano first shared that Napoli are open to discussing Osimhen as part of a move to sign Lukaku, with fellow reliable transfer journalist David Ornstein then following that up by breaking news that both clubs are now in talks over the Nigerian.
If this move comes to fruition, it would be one of the biggest transfers of this summer window, and a solid piece of business for Chelsea. Lukaku has been surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge for the last two years, having spent 22/23 back at Inter on loan and 23/24 on a temporary spell at Roma.
The Belgian earns a reported salary of around £325,000-per-week after completing a £98 million move back to Chelsea in 2021, so if the Blues can get his salary off the books while replacing him with a prolific striker like Osimhen, it would be welcome news for new manager Enzo Maresca.
As Chelsea talks continue over a potential Lukaku and Osimhen swap deal, there is the threat of Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain, who have already agreed terms with the 25-year-old but haven't yet found middle ground on a fee with Napoli (Ben Jacobs).
If for any reason Chelsea cannot strike a move for Osimhen, which is entirely possible, then Todd Boehly and his wider recruitment team will need to source an alternative.
Chelsea speaking to Atletico Madrid over Samu Omorodion
After Chelsea's agreement to sell Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid, it is believed the La Liga side and Maresca's men could do further business, even if it isn't quite imminent.
Chelsea are still speaking to Atletico about signing striker Samu Omorodion, according to GiveMeSport and journalist Ben Jacobs, coming after reports that they had a bid rejected for the Spaniard earlier this window.
Atletico currently value Omorodion at around £70 million, according to separate reports, but GMS claim Atletico want the 20-year-old Olympian to sign a new deal to include a £102 million release clause.
The Spain Under-21 international scored nine goals in all competitions on loan at Deportivo Alaves last season but is seen as a player with real potential.
"Omorodion is an imposing centre-forward blessed with great physicality, aerial prowess, speed and agility, a combination which has given many experienced defenders nightmares at the start of his career," wrote reporter Tom Olver in The Metro.
"The Spain U21 international has also been praised for his tenacious work ethic and has a reputation for tirelessly pressing his opponents."
