Chelsea face anxious wait for Victor Osimhen deal as unthinkable Napoli stay is mooted

The future of Victor Osimhen looks set to go right down to the wire as Chelsea wait in the wings for a response from the player, before pressing ahead in talks with Napoli – amid links with a Saudi Pro League move.

Osimhen has, arguably, been the biggest, ‘will he, won’t he?’ transfer saga of the summer window.

Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Saudi side Al-Ahli have all been linked with the Napoli striker at some stage over the past few months, but with a matter of hours to go before the transfer window shuts, the 25-year-old’s future is still uncertain.

As the window has drawn to a close, it has become clear that there are two candidates leading the charge to try and sign the Nigeria international – who has a whopping £113m release clause.

Todd Boehly’s big-spending Chelsea appeared to be the more attractive option from a footballing standpoint, but the unrivalled riches Saudi Pro League teams can offer threatened to tempt Osimhen to the Middle East.

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For a time, it looked like Chelsea would be able to sign the former Lille ace in a player-plus-cash deal for Romelu Lukaku but in the end, the Belgian forward joined Napoli in a separate transfer.

Then, in spite of Al-Ahli previously being prepared to offer Osimhen a staggering £400,000 per week, TEAMtalk revealed that the striker would prefer to remain in Europe and the Blues were growing in confidence they could strike a deal for his services. 

Our sources confirmed that Chelsea are prepared to make the Nigerian their top earner, taking his weekly wages from £180,000 to £325,000.

One man who has become intwined in a possible deal is Brentford striker Ivan Toney. The Bees are looking to cash in on the 28-year-old – who is out of contract next summer.

Although TEAMtalk revealed that Chelsea are ready to send a strong offer to Brentford for Toney if they miss out on Osimhen, the Bees have reportedly accepted an offer that could rise to £40m for the England international.

As Al-Ahli look set to only sign Toney, that gives Chelsea a clear run to try and recruit Osimhen.

Chelsea waiting on Osimhen decision 

Now, The Athletic states Chelsea are waiting for the ‘green light’ from the striker to secure him a move to Stamford Bridge, before then advancing talks with Napoli about a deal.

Osimhen, whose contract runs until 2026, is keen to join the Blues, who hope he will agree to fit their team and incentive-based wage structure.

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Unless a last gasp transfer swoop arrives on the scene, it looks like Osimhen will either stay at Napoli or possibly switch to Chelsea.

This is backed up by journalist Fabrice Hawkins, who claims if Chelsea don’t make a new offer for Osimhen and Al-Ahli sign Toney, the Nigerian could stay at Napoli – a team where he has been left out of recent squads during this transfer speculation.

Back in January, Osimhen said on his future: “The rumour is going around about me linked with the Premier League. When you’re one of the hottest strikers on the globe, you expect this type of thing, and of course, the Premier League is one of the biggest and best leagues in the whole world.

“I’m with Napoli, I signed a new contract. I’m enjoying my time there. I think I’ve already made up my mind, I already know what I want to do in my career. Since I’ve started, I’ve been the one making my own decisions and everything is working out well for me.

“I already know the next step I want to take, so for now I just want to finish the season strong. I will [then] go relax somewhere with my daughter, think about my life and then finally come out with a decision that I’ve already made.”

Fast forward to the present and he has still not come out publicly with his decision.