Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has opened the path to a Chelsea move.
The 24-year-old, who is currently under Napoli’s employ and is the reigning top scorer of the Italian Serie A, looks to be on his way out of Italy.
This conclusion was reached by the media after analysis of the fallout between the player and Napoli for a social media post they made earlier in the season which mocked him. The incident put a halt to the contract extension talks that were ongoing between the player and the club.
The fact that a number of clubs are also ready to break the bank for the former VfL Wolfsburg striker also contributes to the reports that Osimhen is currently playing his fourth and final season in Italian football with Napoli.
One of the clubs who are interested in the player is Premier League side, Chelsea. The Blues have a rich Nigerian heritage, having fielded Celestine Babayaro, John Mikel Obi, Ola Aina and a number of players with Nigerian heritage in the past.
Osimhen has also admitted to being a boyhood Chelsea fan thanks to his admiration for former Ivory Coast football star Didier Drogba. Both men have become good pals in the course of Osimhen’s career and Drogba has made no secret of his ambition to broker a move for Osimhen to Chelsea.
While the speculations about his next club continue in the media, the player himself has all but spoken out on his preference. He was chatting with Mikel Obi on his Obi One podcast about his career so far, the social media controversy with Napoli, and the possibilities that exist in the transfer market for him.
He was asked about his thoughts on the Premier League and which team was his favourite and he responded: “I don’t have a favourite Premier League team but I have two jerseys: Chelsea and Man United. Many friends of mine are Chelsea fans, few are Man United fans.”
This reinforced his claims of being a boyhood Chelsea fan. Sources close to him also exposed his preference to sign for the Blues if given the opportunity, according to a British media publication.
Chelsea would have to sell players to fund the deal, however, due to some issues they are facing with Financial Fair Play. The names being touted are Conor Gallagher, Armando Broja and Nicolas Jackson, who only joined the club in the summer.
