MX23RW : Friday, January 31 07:12:11| >> :120:46274:46274:

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

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

ID:544889:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5139:
Written by
Ben Sully

Victor Osimhen future - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Victor Osimhen

Click here for more stories about Chelsea

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Leicester City's manager Enzo Maresca on April 20, 2024
Read Next:
Maresca 'will not have control over transfers as Chelsea set target positions'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool22165154213353
2Arsenal23138244212347
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2313553327644
4Manchester CityMan City23125647301741
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle23125641271441
6Chelsea23117545301540
7Bournemouth23117541261540
8Aston Villa2310763435-137
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2381053531434
10Fulham238963431333
11Brentford2394104240231
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd2385102832-429
13Crystal Palace236982630-427
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2376102844-1627
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs2373134637924
16Everton225891928-923
17Leicester CityLeicester2345142549-2417
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2344153252-2016
19Ipswich TownIpswich2337132147-2616
20Southampton2313191653-376


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!