Exclusive: Victor Osimhen to Chelsea is not dead; nevertheless, Todd Boehly must pass barriers to sign priority target

Chelsea’s interest in signing Victor Osimhen remains strong, and TEAMtalk can confirm Todd Boehly is determined to sign the Napoli striker if they can force through some player deals and create the required monies to stay under FFP constraints.

The Blues have issued a blanket statement about player sales, making it clear that any credible offer for any player might be accepted in the upcoming window.

With the Blues now firmly focused on Osimhen, the focus at Stamford Bridge will shift to how they can raise the funds for his signing, with Napoli – who had initially set their asking price for Osimhen at an incredible €170 million (£145 million) – sticking to the €120 million (£102 million) clause that was included in the player’s contract earlier this season.

Napoli has expressed their asking price to Chelsea, and Osimhen has also stated to the club that he is open to a move, so the ball is now in the buyer’s court.

Osimhen fits the bill for a priority target for Chelsea, as he has the star characteristics to help the club to challenge for the Champions League positions and a title.

Victor Osimhen to spark the Chelsea fire sale.

As a result, despite claims to the contrary, TEAMtalk can confirm that Chelsea’s pursuit of Osimhen is still ongoing, however the price tag connected to the Napoli star means that the Blues cannot risk launching a bid until they have offloaded players first.

Raheem Sterling must be at the top of Chelsea’s transfer list, with Boehly and company on the hook for a £67.5 million cost if the winger completes the remaining four years of his deal.

Any club interested in signing Sterling would have to persuade the England international to accept a pay drop, since no responsible club would want to keep his astounding £325,000-per-week salary.

Chelsea may have put themselves into a corner by granting players longer-than-usual contracts. The team currently has 13 players under contract, with seven more years remaining. If all of these deals are fulfilled in their current form, Chelsea will have paid more than £850 million for this current set of players.

Hakim Ziyech and Thiago Silva are the confirmed departures from Chelsea’s current team, but several more names are expected to be added to the list before Chelsea resumes their chase of the Nigerian sensation.