VICTOR Osimhen could finally realise his dream of playing in the English Premier League as there are reports today that he is close to joining Chelsea from Napoli while Romelu Lukaku heads in the other direction.
According to The Athletic, Napoli and Chelsea have started discussing the idea of a mutually beneficial swap deal involving Super Eagles striker Osimhen and Lukaku.
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte has identified the Belgium striker as one of his top priorities for the summer transfer window, keen to work with the 31-year-old again after their success at Inter, while Osimhen was always expected to leave the club this summer.
Osimhen, 25, was reportedly close to joining Paris Saint-Germain for around €100m and had agreed personal terms with the French champions.
However, the deal fell through as the other players PSG included in their offer failed to convince Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, leaving the Nigeria international in Italy.
Today’s Corriere dello Sport, via Football Italia, details how Napoli and Chelsea have started to consider the idea of some form of swap deal involving Osimhen and Lukaku, allowing them both to resolve their striker problems.
The plans are still in the early stages and there is already a slight problem as the Blues have set a new salary cap, something which Napoli would break with his lofty wages, the Italian newspaper added.
Should things develop, it would likely take until the latter stages of the market to be completed, according to Football Italia.
The Athletic provides some more details, claiming that while Lukaku’s move to Napoli would be permanent, Osimhen’s to Chelsea would be a season-long loan deal with an option to buy.
