Former Chelsea player reveals which club prolific Napoli striker ‘wants to join’ to leave Arsenal and Man Utd hanging.
The Nigerian footballer, who has netted 72 goals in 122 matches for Napoli, has garnered attention from clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
On Thursday, reports surfaced that Manchester City have entered the race for Osimhen, partly due to ongoing concerns regarding Erling Haaland’s potential move to Real Madrid.
Napoli’s president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, has confirmed that the striker, whose contract includes a release clause ranging between €120 million (£102.6m) and €130 million (£111.2m), will depart at the conclusion of the season.
Mikel, who shares a strong bond with Osimhen, expressed that the 25-year-old is eager to join Stamford Bridge.
“I’m still Osimhen’s representative, working towards securing his move to Chelsea! I have a stake of 20% in that potential deal, so I’m optimistic!” Mikel stated during the Web Summit Qatar on Thursday.
When questioned about the likelihood of Osimhen signing for Chelsea, Mikel responded, “I believe there is sincere interest from both sides. He admires the club and desires to join.”
“He aims to emulate Nigerian players like Victor Moses and Celestine Babayaro who have represented Chelsea. London is a fantastic city, and he prefers it over other options like Liverpool,” Mikel added.
“However, he’s receiving attention from other clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.”
Mikel emphasized, “I’m continuously advocating for Chelsea, urging him not to diversify his options too much and to concentrate on joining the Blues.”
He further noted, “We witnessed our need for a prolific goal scorer during the Carabao Cup final. We lack someone who can consistently find the net. Victor can fill that gap.
While he may not be the most skilled, he guarantees goals.”
“If he can deliver 20 or more goals per season, possibly 25, similar to Erling Haaland, he can be instrumental for Chelsea. Haaland’s strength lies in his goal-scoring ability, just as Victor’s does,” Mikel pointed out.
“Let’s remain hopeful that everything falls into place, and Victor becomes a Chelsea legend,” Mikel concluded.
The acquisition of Osimhen would entail expenses for Chelsea.
We disclosed Chelsea’s eagerness to secure a top-tier number nine to bolster their position in the Premier League standings and alter the trajectory of a club striving to re-enter the top six, with Osimhen emerging as a primary target.
According to Mikel’s remarks, they might be nearing the acquisition of their desired player, pending Todd Boehly’s willingness to trigger the release clause.
However, considering Boehly’s history of significant spending at Stamford Bridge, this shouldn’t pose a problem. Nevertheless, the club would likely need to offload one or two homegrown players to adhere to Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
This scenario would once again bring up the dilemma of Conor Gallagher’s departure, with Tottenham showing interest in him as the most marketable option among the players Chelsea would contemplate selling.
Chelsea will return to action on Saturday as they travel to face London rivals Brentford in the Premier League.
Former Chelsea player reveals which club prolific Napoli striker ‘wants to join’ to leave Arsenal and Man Utd hanging.