- Big-spending Chelsea are interested in signing Napoli striker Osimhen
- Napoli manager Conte wants two players and £39m from Chelsea
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Chelsea are reportedly close to completing a £39m swap deal for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
The Blues have already spent just under £200m this summer on 12 players, with Pedro Neto the latest to walk through the door following his £54m move from Wolves.
Mail Sport previously reported that Chelsea have been offered Osimhen as part of a swap deal involving out-of-favour striker Romelu Lukaku.
The sun It has now been reported that Napoli boss Antonio Conte wants two players and £39m in exchange for Osimhen.
It is claimed he wants Lukaku, who joined for £97.5m in 2021, and young midfielder Cesare Casadei for £17m plus £39m to seal the transfer.
Victor Osimhen is reportedly close to completing a £39million move to Chelsea, which would see two Blues stars heading in opposite directions.
Napoli boss Antonio Conte wants Romelu Lukaku involved in any deal for Osimhen
Conte is also reportedly keen on Cesare Casadei being included in a £39m swap deal.
Discussions have been ongoing for several days about Osimhen’s future.
Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has been in London for talks with Chelsea over a possible swap deal.
He has explored possible moves for Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Brighton’s Billy Gilmour.
Casadei, meanwhile, is a player Chelsea could potentially include in the mix for Osimhen, along with Lukaku, who has spent the last two seasons on loan in Italy with Inter Milan and Roma.
Napoli confirmed earlier this month that Osimhen had asked to leave the club after being left out of the Coppa Italia squad to face Modena.
Osimhen has been prolific in Serie A for several years and in 2022-23 he shipped 31 goals in all competitions, helping lead Napoli to the title.
Enzo Maresca’s team wants to sign another attacking player despite the arrival of Neto.
The signing of Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid appeared to fall through, which in turn stalled the sale of Conor Gallagher to head in the opposite direction.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea have been busy so far in the summer transfer window.
Despite a quieter 2023-24 season, he remains a hot property and much admired by Paris Saint-Germain and Saudi Arabian clubs.
Osimhen is so coveted that two Chelsea icons are contacting him with persuasive intentions: John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba.
“I hope Chelsea fans finally see him coming to the club. I’ll make sure to send him texts and calls, making sure Chelsea is his top priority,” Mikel said.
“But he seems to love the club and wants to come to Chelsea. I’m sure all the big clubs want to sign him. I think if we can secure his signing it would be fantastic for the club.”
“Didier is also talking to him, sharing his own ideas and what the club means to us. We all want to see Victor come to the club. If it happens, it will happen. It’s a huge transfer fee, but if we can match it and bring him to the club, that would be absolutely fantastic.”
Osimhen has also previously been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, after the French side lost star striker Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid this summer.
Lukaku failed to live up to expectations upon his return to Stamford Bridge in 2021 and Chelsea are keen to let him go.
Casadei, 21, has rarely featured since joining Chelsea in 2022. He was on loan at Leicester for part of last season, where he worked under new Blues manager Maresca.
