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Chelsea 'unlikely to pursue £113m-rated forward amid Paris Saint-Germain competition'

By Ben Sully | 31 May 2024

Chelsea 'unlikely to pursue £113m-rated forward amid PSG competition'

Chelsea are reportedly set to cool their interest in Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, who is also attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

Chelsea are reportedly prepared to cool their interest in Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.

The Blues are believed to be on the verge of appointing Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca as Mauricio Pochettino's successor.

Chelsea have allegedly reached an agreement with Maresca, who is set to sign a five-year contract with the West London club.

While their managerial search may be coming to an end, Chelsea are continuing to scour the market for a new number nine.

They are seemingly keen to recruit a top-level striker who can provide competition to their current main centre-forward Nicolas Jackson.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their first goal on February 21, 2024 © Reuters

Chelsea unlikely to pursue Osimhen move

The Blues are one of the clubs that have shown an interest in Napoli's Osimhen ahead of the summer transfer window.

There has been a suggestion that Napoli are willing to sell Osimhen in a player-plus-cash deal involving Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku.

However, Chelsea are said to be reluctant to discuss such a proposal even though they are expected to offload Lukaku this summer.

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are likely to give up their pursuit of Osimhen amid concerns over the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules.

Due to their economic restrictions, the Blues will struggle to meet the £113m release clause in Osimhen's Napoli contract.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on February 21, 2024 © Reuters

What next for Osimhen?

A recent report suggested the Nigeria international was leaning towards a move to Chelsea and a chance to play in the Premier League.

However, Chelsea's current stance opens the door to Paris Saint-Germain, who are looking to sign Osimhen as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe.

Osimhen operates as a centre-forward rather than off the left like Mbappe, but he still has all the qualities to become a key player for PSG if they were able to agree a transfer with Napoli.

The 25-year-old played a starring role in Napoli's title-winning 2022-23 season, scoring 26 goals in 32 Serie A appearances.

Although he failed to reach those heights last term, he still managed to produce a commendable return in a struggling side, netting 15 goals in 25 top-flight matches.