Chelsea have jumped ahead of the queue in the race to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain and London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal are thought to be the teams eager to poach the 25-year-old from Naples.
The Nigerian is poised to cut ties with the Partenopei at the end of the season, but French publication L’Equipe claims Chelsea have a free run at the striker.
Osimhen has struggled to match his goalscoring exploits from last season when he fired Napoli to the Serie A title.
His campaign has been significantly hampered by injuries, but he’s still the third-best goalscorer in the Italian top flight this season.
Osimhen has notched 15 goals in 24 league games – a tally only bettered by Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic (16) and Serie A top scorer Lautaro Martinez (24).
After four years in Naples, Osimhen is set to bid farewell to the Partenopei and embark on a new challenge, with multiple reports suggesting he could end up in the Premier League next season.
PSG see the Nigerian as the ideal replacement for Kylian Mbappe, but his preference for the Premier League hands Chelsea and Arsenal the edge.
However, L’Equipe believes Chelsea are in pole position to win the race for the striker, who has been labelled ‘world-class’ by former Blues manager Jose Mourinho.
The Blues may need to pay Osimhen’s £113 million release clause in full if they want to beat Arsenal to the punch, which could be a sticking point, considering their concerns about Profit & Sustainability Rules.
Chelsea were planning to use Romelu Lukaku as a makeweight in a potential player-plus-cash deal to land Osimhen, but it may not be enough to convince Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis.
The Blues could struggle to stump up Osimhen’s release clause in full, especially if they fail to qualify for Europe for the second consecutive season.
However, Mauricio Pochettino’s troops can secure Europa League football for next season if they win their remaining two games.
It remains to be seen whether Europa League football would be enticing enough for Osimhen but the Blues still have a decent chance of signing the Nigerian this summer.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
