Chelsea could supposedly cool their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen due to the Nigerian's recent injury.
With a division-high 26 goals in 32 Serie A matches during the 2022-23 season, Osimhen played a fundamental role in firing the Partenopei to the Italian top-flight crown.
The 24-year-old's feats naturally led to a wealth of interest from fellow Champions League-competing clubs in the summer, but president Aurelio de Laurentiis refused to entertain bids for his leading centre-forward.
The summer transfer window slammed shut with Osimhen still on the books at Napoli, where he has started the new campaign in strong fashion with six goals and one assist from 10 appearances.
However, the striker's future remains the subject of much debate after the official Napoli TikTok account posted two strange videos appearing to mock Osimhen, whose agent threatened to sue the club.
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No legal action was taken against Napoli, but Osimhen was also pictured in a war of words with head coach Rudi Garcia following his withdrawal against Bologna last month, an incident which the manager quickly played down.
Osimhen's contract with Napoli now has fewer than two years left to run, and De Laurentiis has hinted that he would not be averse to selling the former Lille man, who had second thoughts about signing an extension with the Italian champions.
Napoli have since been forced to deny claims that their relationship with Osimhen is "frosty" as the Nigeria international battles a spate of unwelcome off-field distractions, all of which have added fuel to the fire surrounding a possible exit.
The 24-year-old was recently called up to represent Nigeria in fixtures with Saudi Arabia and Mozambique, but he sustained a hamstring issue in the former match and has missed meetings with Hellas Verona and Union Berlin since returning to club duty.
According to Italian outlet Il Mattino, Osimhen's issue is more serious than first feared, and the Capocannoniere winner is not expected to return to action until the end of November or beginning of December.
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As a result, Chelsea - who have been tipped to move for the forward in early 2024 - could instead switch their attention to other targets, namely Brentford marksman Ivan Toney.
The England international will return from his lengthy betting suspension during the January transfer window, and the Bees have accepted that they could be fighting a losing battle to keep hold of their star striker in 2024.
Toney is understood to be open to an exit from the Gtech Community Stadium in January, although Arsenal will provide Chelsea with stiff competition for the 27-year-old's signature.
Chelsea brought no fewer than three new strikers to the club over the summer, adding Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and 18-year-old Deivid Washington to their offensive ranks.
Nkunku is yet to make his competitive debut for Chelsea due to a serious knee injury, though, while Jackson has scored just twice in his opening eight Premier League games for the club.
Ben Knapton
