Chelsea ‘open talks over Victor Osimhen loan’ as part of Napoli double deal | Football | Sport

Chelsea are reportedly in talks over landing Victor Osimhen from Napoli in a deal that could see Blues outcast Romelu Lukaku head in the opposite direction. Osimhen has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United previously credited with an interest in the Nigerian forward.

A new striker is understood to be high on the agenda of those within the Chelsea hierarchy. Osimhen has been a prolific source of goals for Napoli in Serie A and the Champions League.

Chelsea are likely to offload £98million flop Lukaku this summer and could strike an excellent double deal with Napoli. According to The Athletic, the Premier League side are in talks with the Italian outfit that would see the Belgian head to Naples.

In return, Chelsea are reportedly hoping to seal an initial loan agreement to lure Osimhen to Stamford Bridge. The move would include an option to buy the 25-year-old next summer.

Should the switch take place, Lukaku would reunite with his former Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte, who has been appointed as the new Napoli head coach. The 31-year-old forward’s second spell at Chelsea never took off, with him spending only one full season back in West London after joining from Inter for a little under a nine-figure sum in 2021.

Lukaku rejoined Inter on loan a year later and spent last season on loan with Italian rivals Roma. Despite his 23 league goals across those two temporary moves, it has always seemed unlikely that Lukaku would be reintegrated back into the first-team squad at Chelsea.

He has had interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, who would be willing to offer him an eye-watering salary. However, it has been widely claimed that Lukaku’s desire is to remain in Europe. The former Manchester United and Everton star could find a permanent home at Napoli.

Meanwhile, Chelsea would be securing one of Europe’s most highly-rated forwards in Osimhen. The Napoli ace struck 17 goals across all competitions last season and bagged 31 in the campaign before.

Chelsea‘s lack of a prolific No 9 became apparent last season as Mauricio Pochettino‘s side missed out on a place in the top four, despite a late surge up the table. Nicolas Jackson’s inconsistency proved a source of frustration for some fans, although the Senegal international did end the season with 14 Premier League goals.

New boss Enzo Maresca is widely expected to strengthen his attack over the coming weeks.