Chelsea take close look at €100m striker whose thunderous most recent goal has added even further to appeal

Chelsea are the latest Premier League club to take a look at Napoli striker Victor Osimhen – and they will like what they have seen, according to reports in Italy.

Osimhen is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting strikers playing in Europe. Last season, he scored 18 goals in 32 appearances for Napoli across all competitions. So far this season, he has accumulated five goals from nine appearances.

His most recent one was a stunner; he smashed the ball home from a wide angle to earn his side a 1-0 win over rivals Roma.

It emphasised the power and precision with which Osimhen operates. His characteristics are therefore obviously appealing to several clubs in the Premier League.

During the summer, the Nigeria international was linked with suitors such as Manchester United and Newcastle – and now, Calciomercato is reporting that Chelsea are impressed by Osimhen.

Finding a new centre-forward could be on the agenda for Chelsea in 2023. During the summer, they offloaded Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner.

Although Lukaku’s return to Inter Milan was only on loan, the chances of him being reintegrated at Stamford Bridge seem to be on the low side.

Chelsea responded to his exit by bringing in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona. However, his reunion with Thomas Tuchel did not last long. Instead, he is now working to try and impress new head coach Graham Potter.

Even if he manages to win over Potter, Chelsea might need a longer-term successor soon. With that in mind, it is no surprise to see them considering Osimhen, who turns 24 in December.

Victor Osimhen bound to attract further interest despite high valuation

That said, he will not be easy to prise away from Napoli. The Serie A leaders have him under contract until 2025. As the report reminds, there is no intention on their part to let him go for a fee inferior to €100million (around £87.4million at present).

And although they have invested in their attack by bringing in Giovanni Simeone and Giacomo Raspadori, they want their new arrivals to complement Osimhen, rather than replace him right now.

Hence, Chelsea – or any other bidders – would have to be very persuasive in any efforts to talk Napoli into selling one of their star men.

Napoli already said farewell to key first teamers like Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne and Fabian Ruiz over the summer. However, they have reinvested well and are setting the pace in Serie A.

Surely they would not want to let go of another important member of Luciano Spalletti’s starting lineup while they are enjoying some positive momentum.

But Osimhen will certainly continue to attract the attention of elite clubs across Europe if he keeps up his current form.

Chelsea, of course, have every right to feel like one of them. Therefore, with Todd Boehly backing them, they will want to establish themselves as firm contenders if the opportunity to take Osimhen arises.

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