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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has identified one of Europe’s best strikers as his top target, transfer insider Dean Jones has now revealed.
Which striker are Chelsea signing?
Despite their heavy spending under the ownership of Todd Boehly, Chelsea remain keen on making new additions to the squad in the January transfer window, particularly in attack, having already taken the first steps towards signing Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
As reported by London World, the Blues are leading the race for the 27-year-old, who is Pochettino’s ideal choice, as he is English, at the right age and proven in the Premier League, with the manager holding talks with Boehly to lay the groundwork for the signing.
In a recent article for GiveMeSport, Jones has written about Nicolas Jackson’s struggles at the start of the campaign, with the striker’s return of one goal from an xG of 3.0, even prior to the game against AFC Bournemouth, ranking as the worst disparity in the league.
As such, Pochettino may have to enter the market for a new forward in the January transfer window, and an approach for Toney is being contemplated, although he will not come cheap, with reports detailing Brentford may hold out for as much as £80m.
Ollie Watkins, Lautaro Martinez and Dusan Vlahovic have all been considered, but Jones has revealed that Victor Osimhen is at the top of Chelsea’s list, despite his huge price tag, with Napoli quoting Paris Saint-Germain a fee of £172m in the summer.
However, the Blues may have to wait until next June if they are to make a move for the Nigerian, with Jones detailing that a move would “not seem possible” in January.
Instead, Toney would be a more “gettable” option, while Watkins’ availability is likely to depend on whether he commits to a new contract by the time the winter transfer window opens.
How good is Victor Osimhen?
The 24-year-old has made year-on-year progress with Napoli since arriving ahead of the 2020-21 season, reaching double figures for Serie A goals in the 2020-21 campaign before going on to score 26 in 32 appearances last term.
Over the past year, the Nigerian has been a constant threat in and around the opposition penalty box, ranking in the 99th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area and shots taken per 90, when compared to his positional peers.
The only concern over signing Osimhen is the transfer fee he is likely to command, especially considering Chelsea have already spent over £1bn under Boehly’s stewardship, and they need to make sure they abide by Financial Fair Play regulations.
Pochettino could raise some funds ahead of the January transfer window by selling Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher, both of whom have recently been linked with a move away, but in reality it seems likely they will have to wait until next summer.
Lauded as “world class” by CBS commentator Matteo Bonetti, Osimhen could be the missing piece of the jigsaw for Chelsea, but they will need to improve their current league position if they are to attract him to Stamford Bridge.