Chelsea ‘set to make Victor Osimhen their top target with Napoli striker open to move’… but £100m price tag could scupper January deal

The striker from Napoli, Victor Osimhen, is said to be Chelsea’s top target and is reportedly keen to joining the team.

Osimhen led Napoli to the Serie A championship, scored 31 goals across all competitions the previous year, and has carried over his strong play into this season.

And following a lackluster start to the season, the Blues seek to strengthen their forward line with the 24-year-old Nigerian international, per the Telegraph.

A January deal could be derailed by Aurelio Di Laurentiis, the chairman of Napoli, who is expected to seek more than £100 million.

But with Armando Broja still honing his skills, Nicolas Jackson still getting his bearings, and Christopher Nkunku sidelined, Chelsea might splash the cash to vault themselves into the top four.

When Chelsea looks to add a striker to their lineup, Victor Osimhen is expected to be their top choice.

After spending three seasons in Serie A, Osimhen is at the top of Mauricio Pochettino’s list of players to add to his squad.

It is anticipated by the Evening Standard that Chelsea will not finalize their January transfer intentions until mid-December, meaning Napoli will try to hold onto him until at least the summer.

Osimhen’s relationship with the team and the supporters is becoming strained, though, and it appears that he is uneasy.

Two contentious videos featuring Osimhen were uploaded to the club’s TikTok account in September.

In the first, the 24-year-old was shown pleading for a penalty and then missing the mark on the spot-kick, with the message “Gimme penalty please.”

A second video, which was removed after becoming viral online, made the widely perceived racial slur of comparing Osimhen to a “coconut.”

The striker, who scored 31 goals the previous season, is anticipated to fetch over £100 million from Napoli.

In response, Napoli released a statement in which they maintained their innocence, although it seems that the incident has had a significant negative impact on the player-club relationship.

In addition, he has only made 12 appearances thus far due to a hamstring ailment that has sidelined him since mid-October.

He has still managed to score seven goals during that period, though.

Walter Mazzarri took Rudi Garci’s place after Napoli made the bold decision to fire him. It will be interesting to watch how the new coach impacts both his play and his bond with the team.