Paris Saint-Germain have stepped up their pursuit of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, and it could mean good news for Chelsea.
Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid coupled with Ligue 1’s need for a new poster boy has seen PSG reignite their interest in the Nigerian.
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PSG are in pole position to bring Victor Osimhen to the Parc des PrincesCredit: GettyWith a new broadcasting deal assured the French Champions are free to continue their squad rebuild as they prepare for the post-Mbappe era.
Despite spending a whopping £150m on strikers Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani last summer, PSG are expected to dip into the market again to cover Mbappe’s 44 goals in 48 games last season.
Osimhen, who fired Napoli to the Serie A title in 2023, has finally been given the green light to leave the club this summer after 12 months of flirting with PSG, Arsenal and Manchester United.
Chelsea were among the club’s credited with an interest in the 25-year-old but now a move to the French capital would benefit Chelsea as they fine tune their squad ahead of next season.
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That’s because Napoli boss Antonio Conte is eyeing a swoop for Chelsea outcast Romelu Lukaku and he embarks on his first season at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The Belgian would present a ready-made replacement for Osimhen in what could be a cut-price deal for the striker who has two-years remaining on his Stamford Bridge contract.
With seemingly no way back for Lukaku at Chelsea, the switch makes sense for all parties, leaving Chelsea free to explore other alternatives to solve their striker crisis.
Boss Enzo Maresca has just Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja to call upon in the striking department with the addition of European football next term.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis previously slapped a £150million valuation on Osimhen which deterred Chelsea and other suitors but the Italian is unlikely to fetch anywhere near that amount should the striker leave this summer.
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Lukaku has spent the past two season’s on loan at Serie A club’s Inter and RomaCredit: Getty
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Nicolas Jackson one of two natural strikers available to Blues boss Enzo MarescaCredit: GettyInstead, Osimhen could be subject of a player-plus-cash deal to get the move over the line with PSG keen to offload one or two of their fringe stars.
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