Chelsea transfers: Blues re-establish Victor Osimhen contact as source brands shock alternative move ‘fake news’

Galatasaray have no plans to sign Napoli loanee Victor Osimhen permanently but Chelsea remain interested in the forward, TEAMtalk can reveal.

The Nigerian international was the Blues’ top target over the summer but they were unable to agree a deal on personal terms with him despite being locked in negotiations until the end of the transfer window.

Osimhen’s open desire to leave Napoli led to Antonio Conte exiling him from the squad, hence why he was allowed to join Galatasaray on a season-long loan.

But the striker’s deal includes a break clause that allows clubs to sign him permanently in January, if his release clause is triggered.

The clause is set at €75m (£62.8m / $82.1m), which is significantly lower than what Napoli were holding out for over the summer.

A recent report from Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport claims that Galatasaray are considering signing Osimhen on a permanent deal.

However, sources close to the Turkish club have strongly denied this suggestion, deeming it ‘fake news’ and adding that there is a ‘zero percent chance’ this could happen. In any case, they wouldn’t be able to afford his price tag, anyway.

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Osimhen ‘dreams’ of Premier League switch – sources

We understand that Osimhen’s next priority is to play for a big European club and his dream is to test himself in the Premier League.

From his point of view, he has no desire to stay in Turkey beyond this season, although he was grateful to join Galatasaray on loan so he could keep playing consistent minutes.

Sources say that Osimhen is still ‘top of Chelsea’s shortlist’ and a few weeks ago, the Blues made contact again with the striker’s agents.

This was just a conversation to gauge whether Osimhen was still interested in a switch to Stamford Bridge and no decision has been made yet by the player or Chelsea.

Osimhen’s €75m (£62.8m / $82.1m) release clause makes things more straightforward in the Blues, as they struggled to negotiate a payment structure with Napoli over the summer.

TEAMtalk sources say that Juventus are another club to keep an eye on in the race for Osimhen. They could lose Dusan Vlahovic in 2025 amid interest from Arsenal and others and if they do, they would have to bring in a replacement.

Italian clubs, however, cannot trigger Osimhen’s release clause and will therefore have to negotiate with Napoli directly over a transfer fee.

Chelsea could move for a new striker in January

As previously revealed, Chelsea are expecting to have a relatively quiet January compared to previous transfer windows as Enzo Maresca is happy with his current squad.

The Blues will only bring in a new player if they feel he immediately improves their starting XI, but they are keeping tabs on a number of strikers.

Alongside Osimhen, RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko is also on Chelsea’s shortlist. However, Arsenal are currently in pole position to sign him.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface is also of interest to Chelsea and he could be a name to keep an eye out for in January.

Whether Chelsea swoop for a new striker in January largely depends on the form of Nicolas Jackson though, and he has been superb so fa this term.

Meanwhile, several Chelsea stars could leave the club in January and we believe that Ben Chilwell is one of those who’s almost certain to depart, as he isn’t in Maresca’s plans.

We understand that Manchester United are seriously considering a move for the England international as they look to bolster their options in the left-back position.

IN FOCUS: Victor Osimhen’s time at Galatasaray so far

Osimhen marked his Galatasaray debut with an assist in a 5-0 win over Caykur Rizespor before setting up Dries Mertens’ goal in a 3-1 win against archrivals Fenerbahce.

He got two assists in the Europa League win against PAOK and opened his Galatasaray account with a brace in a 3-3 draw with Kasimpasa.

The striker now has two goals and four assists in his first four appearances for the club and no Galatasaray player has registered more goal contributions than him in the 2024/25 season.

He is currently averaging a goal every 151.5 minutes and a direct goal contribution every 50.5 minutes.

In comparison, the Nigeria international registered 17 goals and four assists in 32 appearances for Napoli last season.

He was averaging a goal every 145.6 minutes and a direct goal contribution every 117.9 minutes in 2023/24.

In the Turkish Super Lig, the 25-year-old is currently averaging 5.6 shots per 90 minutes and 78.5 per cent of those shots have been from inside the penalty area.

But he is more than just a goal scorer as he has been creating 2.0 chances per 90 minutes in 2024/25.

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