Chelsea are ready to break the Premier League transfer record once again to sign Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.
Osimhem is Chelsea’s top transfer target as the club look to sign a centre-forward and the Nigerian is ‘open’ to a move to Stamford Bridge, according to The Telegraph.
The 24-year-old scored 26 league goals as Napoli were crowned champions of Italy for the first time since 1990 last season, winning the Capocannoniere award as the league’s leading scorer.
Napoli are under no pressure to sell Osimhen and value the club’s leading scorer in excess of £100m, with any deal potentially set to eclipse the £115m Chelsea spent to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton last summer.
Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli was strained earlier this season after the club released a bizarre TikTok video mocking the striker, with the player’s agent threatening legal action. That issue was solved and Osimhen has scored six goals in nine league games for the Serie A champions this season.
Chelsea want to add an elite option in the final third, with neither Armando Broja or Nicolas Jackson having convinced for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The latter has scored seven goals in 14 games since arriving from Villarreal last summer, but has been criticised for being wasteful around goal.
Osimhen has spoken previously on his ‘dream’ of playing in the Premier League and has referenced both Chelsea and Manchester United as clubs he admires. The Nigerian also cited ex-Chelsea forward Didier Drogba as a role model and is understood to be interested in a transfer to west London.
