Victor Osimhen saga continues as club continues negotiations

Romelu Lukaku would go to Italy and Victor Osimhen would join the Blues in a multi-layered trade that Chelsea and Napoli have been trying to work out. In order to rejoin his former Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte in Serie A, Belgium striker Lukaku had long been expected to sign a permanent contract with Napoli this summer.

Lukaku is wanted by Chelsea for £30 million; after loan spells at Inter Milan and Roma, the Blues want to sell the player permanently. Napoli is hoping that an agreement to bring the much sought-after Nigerian striker Osimhen to Stamford Bridge will reduce Lukaku's transfer fee. 

The free-scoring attacker, Osimhen was a target for Paris Saint Germain, but negotiations with Napoli over a deal have come to a standstill. It is now believed that the Italians are aware of how tough it will be to negotiate a permanent move on Osimhen's release clause, which is estimated to be worth more than £100 million.

Napoli has been reevaluating their options as a result of the problems with PSG, and the Partenopei are currently looking into a complicated deal with Chelsea that would involve both forwards. When it became apparent that Napoli intended to hold on for the 25-year-old's release price in any permanent deal, Chelsea withdrew their intense interest in Osimhen early this year.

Where will Victor Osimhen play this summer?

Osimhen has committed to a personal contract with PSG, but he is keen to move on from Napoli during the summer and pursue other opportunities. A move to Chelsea is also considered to be a possibility. After Napoli easily won the 2023 Italian top division, Osimhen topped the Serie A scoring records with 23 goals, and he has been on the transfer shortlists of numerous European powerhouses ever since.

Osimhen is currently being considered for a season-long loan by Chelsea and Napoli, with the possibility for the Blues to acquire the former striker for Wolfsburg and Lille. However, Paris Saint-Germain will be aware of their circumstances and will still be keen in the Nigerian's services.