Chelsea 'make initial contact' over Victor Osimhen transfer as swap deal suggested
Chelsea are reportedly set to reignite their pursuit of Victor Osimhen, with a potential swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku on the cards.
Osimhen, who led Napoli to Serie A glory last season and bagged Italy's golden boot award, has continued his goal-scoring form despite Napoli's lacklustre title defence this year. Currently sitting ninth in the Serie A table and a staggering 39 points behind champions Inter Milan, Napoli look set to miss out on European football next season, prompting Osimhen to consider his options.
Despite having two years left on his contract, which allows Napoli to demand a hefty fee, interest in Osimhen remains high, with Chelsea joining PSG at the front of the race for the 25-year-old striker.
Sky Sport Italia reports that Chelsea have made 'initial contacts' with Napoli regarding Osimhen's future. The Blues are reportedly trying to orchestrate a deal worth up to £77m, which would see Lukaku and a young player head to Italy in exchange for Osimhen.
Lukaku is said to be on the radar of Napoli's incoming sporting director Giovanni Manna, who previously attempted to sign him for Juventus. While negotiations are underway, the desires of both Osimhan and Lukaku will also need to be considered.
Napoli's search for a new manager is taking precedence over transfer business, with Stefano Pioli, Vincenzo Italiano, Gian Piero Gasperini, and former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte on the shortlist. The latter is reportedly an admirer of Romelu Lukaku.
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Aurelio De Laurentiis, Napoli's president, has conceded that Osimhen is likely to depart in the upcoming transfer window. He praised him as one of Napoli's elite, akin to past stars such as Cavani, Higuain, Lavezzi, and Mertens, and indicated he wouldn't obstruct a move.
"Victor is another good player that Napoli have. We had (Edinson) Cavani, (Gonzalo) Higuain, (Ezequiel) Lavezzi and we had (Dries) Mertens, we had a lot of people who were fantastic," De Laurentiis remarked earlier this year.
"And there are others who are attracted by Real Madrid, by Paris Saint-Germain, by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea. So you cannot stop them, especially when they have a fixed amount of money where they can be bought.
"Osimhen is a very great player - but you know Napoli is a fantastic place. There are certain players who fell in love with Napoli and stayed, like (Marek) Hamsik for 11 years. Or like others for eight years.
"He has a release clause. It's a very big amount of money. Who knows who will leave, we will see. The money is the last problem for Napoli. We always made very good acquisitions as we did in the past.
"We will do (so) in the future. The problem is just sentimental problems. When you see a player leave, it's like a son. You are also happy if this son has fantastic success everywhere else."
