Chelsea transfer plan in question as Osimhen links revived by Napoli price adjustment

Kyle Bonn

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Chelsea transfer plan in question as Osimhen links revived by Napoli price adjustment image

Chelsea have been handed a major boost in their chase of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, with reports claiming that the Blues are back in for the Nigerian star.

Osimhen is widely considered the most coveted and talented striker available for transfer this summer by a significant margin, but the market has been slow across Europe.

The west London club, conversely, has been one of the clubs not afraid to wheel and deal as the transfer frenzy under the new ownership group continues to feast unabated by the wider market trends. The Chelsea squad has ballooned to over 40 players, but the Blues just don't stop bringing more on board.

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With Osimhen's move to Saudi club Al-Ahly reportedly no longer viable, European clubs are seemingly back in the hunt. The accepted deal was reportedly for €65 million ($72m/£54.8m), which is far below the €130 million ($145.4m/£109.7m) tossed around for months, re-igniting interest around the Big 5 European Leagues.

According to Ben Jacobs of GiveMeSport, Chelsea are back in for Osimhen thanks to the drop in price, although the deal has a long way to go with Chelsea "only [willing] to proceed on strict terms."

Each passing week, it gets harder and harder to understand what the transfer strategy is at Stamford Bridge. The Blues squad sits at an outlandish size, even as head coach Enzo Maresca said he would limit the first-team selection to just 21 players.

Nicolas Jackson is the current first-choice striker, whom Chelsea are reportedly set to hand a new contract after just one year at the club and an astonishing seven years left on his current deal. Joao Felix just arrived in order to facilitate the departure of Conor Gallagher, while Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, and Cole Palmer are all in the mix up front, and youngster Marc Guiu looked good in preseason after arriving from Barcelona.

So what's the goal here, exactly? If Chelsea spend big money on the most coveted striker on the market, where does that leave the rest of the players in the squad? And will they pivot again in a few weeks if someone else opens up? The size of the squad has reached an unsustainable level, and now even more big-money deals could be on the horizon.

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Kyle Bonn

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Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.