Chelsea Still Eyes Victor Osimhen

Chelsea have not given up on the Victor Osimhen chase despite the Nigeria striker completing his loan move to Galatasaray on Tuesday.

According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the London club are still interested in the 25-year-old and are open to resuming talks in the future.

Chelsea made a late attempt to sign Osimhen during the final hours of the summer transfer window, but their offer was way off the Nigerian’s terms.

“The appreciation in Osimhen from top clubs around Europe remains. Galatasaray will cover his salary, so for Napoli this loan is a good solution, but the appreciation of several clubs, especially Chelsea, remains,” Romano said.

“Chelsea, in the final hour of the summer transfer window, tried to make something happen. The appreciation remains. Let’s see what happens with this option. But what I can tell you for sure is that their appreciation for Osimhen as a player remains,” Romano added.

Osimhen, who played a pivotal role in Napoli’s Serie A title win the penultimate season by scoring 26 goals and bagging the league’s top scorer award, has been one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe.

His performances over the past three seasons for the Azzurri have attracted the attention of top European clubs, including Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Liverpool.

After a prolonged transfer saga, Osimhen joined Galatasaray, becoming the sixth Nigerian to don the Cimbom jersey.

His arrival in Turkey was met with fanfare, with thousands of Galatasaray supporters gathering at Istanbul Airport to welcome him despite his late-night arrival.

Osimhen’s loan move to Galatasaray, which includes a break clause in January, has given Chelsea and other interested clubs the opportunity to monitor his performance in Turkey closely.

The Turkish side will cover a significant portion of his €10m salary, reportedly paying €8.8m.

With the striker expected to make his debut for Galatasaray after the international break on September 15 against Rizespor, all eyes will be on him to show how well he has adapted to his new environment and whether his stint in Turkey will reignite interest from Chelsea and other top European clubs ahead of the next transfer window.