Chelsea are considering a possible loan move for Victor Osimhen from Napoli as part of a deal combining Romelu Lukaku with Antonio Conte, and Arsenal have made inquiries about the striker, according to reports.
Osimhen has been heavily linked with a move this summer, despite extending his contract at Napoli earlier this year. His new deal contains a flexible release clause worth at least £100m, which has put off potential suitors.
Paris Saint-Germain have held talks with the Serie A side in recent weeks but have been unable to reach an agreement on a transfer fee so the race for the Nigerian international is still open.
Chelsea are long-time fans of Osimhen – 90 min they first expressed their interest in October 2022 – and are yet to confirm the marquee registration they want, instead bringing in the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu and David Datro Fofana 18 months ago.
Athletic reports that talks are ongoing with Napoli over the possible sale of Lukaku, who returned to Stamford Bridge in 2021 after two highly successful seasons under Conte at Inter, where the Nerazzurri won the 2020/21 Serie A title, and now there is a strong possibility that Napoli could send He joined Chelsea on loan with an option to buy as part of any deal for Lukaku.
Conte is keen to reunite with Lukaku at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, although their efforts to land the Belgian have so far been thwarted.
Chelsea are keen to offload Lukaku permanently this summer rather than allow him to leave on another loan. His £97.5m return to the club was an unmitigated disaster, which led to him returning to Inter on loan before 12 months under Jose Mourinho in Rome.
Giallorossi had initially shown an interest in taking Lukaku on a permanent basis, but he could not match the demands of Chelsea, who has a two-year contract with the Belgian club.
Osimhen has proved to be an elusive figure at Chelsea so far and getting a deal over the line could prove even more difficult for Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Italian book Corriere dello Sport they say the Gunners, who have long been mentioned as a possible destination for Osimhen, have inquired about the 25-year-old player, but their main target remains Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP.
Mikel Arteta’s team has also been linked with Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane, who has already signed a deal for Italy’s defender Riccardo Calafiori, who stood out in Italy at Euro 2024 after a good season in Bologna helped the Serie A team to secure points that were expected to be this season’s champions. League.
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