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Victor Osimhen: Chelsea Consider Loan Move As Arsenal Shows Interest
Chelsea is considering the option of loaning Victor Osimhen from Napoli as part of a deal that would reunite Romelu Lukaku with Antonio Conte.
Meanwhile, Arsenal has shown interest in the prolific forward, according to reports.
Osimhen has been heavily linked with a move away this summer, despite extending his Napoli contract earlier this year. His new deal contains a fluctuating release clause worth at least £100m, which has put off potential suitors.
Paris Saint-Germain has engaged in discussions with the Serie A club in recent weeks; however, they have yet to reach an agreement on a transfer. As a result, the competition for the Nigerian international is still up for grabs.
Chelsea is a long-term admirer of Osimhen as first revealed their interest back in October 2022 and is yet to secure the marquee signing up front that they crave, instead bringing in the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu, and David Datro Fofana over the past 18 months.
The Athletic reports that talks are ongoing with Napoli over the potential sale of Lukaku, who returned to Stamford Bridge in 2021 after two hugely successful seasons under Conte’s management at Inter.
During which the Nerazzurri won the 2020/21 Serie A title, and there is now the extraordinary possibility that Napoli could send Osimhen to Chelsea on loan with an option to buy as part of any deal for Lukaku.
Conte is keen on a reunion with Lukaku at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, though their attempts to bring in the Belgian have been thwarted to this point.
Chelsea are determined to sanction a permanent exit for Lukaku this summer rather than allow him to leave on yet another loan. His £97.5m return to the club has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, leading to a second spell at Inter on loan before a 12-month stint under Jose Mourinho at Roma.
The Giallorossi had initially shown interest in taking Lukaku permanently but were not able to match the demands of Chelsea, who still have the Belgian contracted to the club for another two years.
Osimhen has been a challenging target for Chelsea so far, and securing a deal could become even more complicated due to interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Italian publication Corriere dello Sport state that the Gunners, who have long been touted as a potential destination for Osimhen, have enquired about the 25-year-old, but their main target remains Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.
Mikel Arteta’s side have also been linked with Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane, while they already completed a deal for Italian defender, Riccardo Calafiori.
Calafiori impressed for Italy at Euro 2024 following an outstanding season at Bologna, which helped the Serie A club achieve an unexpected qualification for this season’s Champions League.
