Chelsea ‘still eyeing up January transfer’ to replace player who ‘could fetch £150m’

Chelsea may have their sights set on Victor Osimhen, but they’ll have to wait until January to snap up the Napoli striker. Despite coming incredibly close to securing his services on transfer deadline day, the 25-year-old shockingly opted for a loan move to Galatasaray.

However, his future after the 2024/25 season hangs in the balance, with his contract at Napoli set to expire next July. Having made a splash in the Turkish Super Lig with two goals from three outings, industry insider Fabrizio Romano has told Caught Offside that Chelsea might swoop for a £40million deal come January.

That said, there are no negotiations ongoing currently despite the Blues reportedly gearing up for a move behind the scenes. If they were to sign Osimhen, it could cause ripple effects at Stamford Bridge, possibly nudging Nicolas Jackson out of favour with Enzo Maresca, or even turning him into a lucrative sale.

The Senegalese frontman joined Chelsea from Villarreal for a hefty £32m last summer and is contracted through to 2033. Yet, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is confident about Jackson’s value skyrocketing, saying (via Football London): “If Nicolas Jackson fulfils his potential, he will be a £150million player. I’m convinced of that.”

Jackson has hit the ground running this Premier League season, netting four times in six matches his goals lighting up games against Wolves, Crystal Palace, and West Ham, putting him up as one of Chelsea’s hot shots. Given his remarkable performance, it might be premature to replace Jackson at this early stage of his Chelsea career – particularly when he has outshone club legend Didier Drogba in his debut season.

Drogba only managed to score 10 times in the 2004/05 Premier League season, while also providing five assists. On the other hand, Jackson matched Drogba’s assist tally in the 2023/24 season but surpassed him by four goals, scoring a total of 14 in his first season.

Meanwhile, Osimhen remains unproven in the Premier League, having spent most of his career in Serie A with Napoli. The forward has netted 76 goals in 133 appearances for the Italian side since his £73million transfer from Lille in 2020.