Victor Osimhen continues to be linked with a move to Chelsea and it seems inevitable that he will leave Napoli this summer.
With Antonio Conte’s side desperate to sign Blues forward Romelu Lukaku as his replacement, a move to Stamford Bridge makes logical sense, although the west London club may need to alter their wage structure to purchase Osimhen.
While Cole Palmer’s new deal will see him earn an annual salary of just under €8 million, as per reports, Osimhen is currently demanding a yearly wage of €11m after tax.
As a result, Chelsea must decide whether to break their strict wage structure or move onto alternative targets.
If the Blues opt to sign Osimhen, there will be plenty of winners and losers from the deal.
Winner – Chelsea
Chelsea haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to centre forwards over the past two decades. In fact, Didier Drogba and Diego Costa are the only players to match or exceed expectations in west London.
Andriy Shevchenko, Fernando Torres, Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku all underwhelmed, and the issue has been extremely pertinent since Costa’s departure.
While Osimhen could become the latest victim of Chelsea’s striker curse, the Nigerian is likely to end the club’s run of underperforming number nine’s and finally ensure the Blues have a reliable goalscorer.
Loser – Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson surpassed expectations during his debut campaign at Chelsea. He arrived having played as a striker for less than 12 months, and immediately showed glimpses of real talent.
His finishing was subpar, but Jackson’s all-round game caught the eye in his first season, and he looks like a future star.
However, Osimhen’s potential arrival promises to disrupt his development. The Napoli man will immediately become first-choice and Jackson will be reduced to picking up minutes in cup competitions, rather than in the Premier League.
Winner – Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca faces an uphill battle to please matchgoing Chelsea fans. His style of football is divisive and the Stamford Bridge crowd could easily turn against him if the Blues start the season poorly.
If Osimhen is up front, however, Chelsea will be a vastly superior team and points will follow – easing concerns related to the Italian and his position at the helm.
Loser – Serie A
The Premier League’s financial muscle is becoming slightly ridiculous and losing Osimhen would be a massive blow to Serie A.
The Italian top flight have already lost Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal this summer and Oismhen would join a long list of players to have been poached while plying their trade in Serie A.
Khvicha Kvarataskhelia and Lautaro Martinez remain in the division, however Serie A is certainly not as strong from an individual player perspective as it was five years ago and their TV rights money is dwindling as a result.
Winner – Inter
Napoli endured a torrid 2023-24 campaign and their title defence was simply shocking. However, they promise to be a threat under Conte this year.
The Italian is a top manager and without European football to contend with, Napoli could easily challenge for the Serie A title.
However, Lukaku isn’t the same player he was during his time at Inter and without Osimhen up top, they will be a weaker side. As a result, Inter remain favourites to win the Scudetto.
Loser – PSG
With Kylian Mbappe gone, signing Osimhen was seen as the logical move for Paris Saint-Germain. Bradley Barcola is a star on the left flank, but Luis Enrique needs a clinical number nine
Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani both underperformed last year, and signing Osimhen made perfect sense.
As a result, if the Nigerian joins Chelsea, PSG can be classed as losers, with the Parisians now significantly weaker and set to face a title battle with AS Monaco and Marseille.
Read more about: Serie A, Premier League, Chelsea, Napoli, Victor Osimhen
