Transfer Centre

Chelsea to use Christian Pulisic in Victor Osimhen pursuit?

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 20 March 2023

Chelsea could reportedly include Christian Pulisic as part of a player-plus-cash deal for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer.

Chelsea are reportedly willing to part ways with Christian Pulisic as part of their efforts to bring Napoli's Victor Osimhen to Stamford Bridge.

Osimhen continues to lead the way in the Serie A goalscoring charts amid a phenomenal campaign for the Partenopei, who hold a 19-point lead at the top of the table.

The Nigeria international has 25 goals and five assists to show from 29 matches this term, scoring his 20th and 21st Serie A goals in the weekend's 4-0 thrashing of Torino.

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has affirmed that the Scudetto chasers have no reason to sell Osimhen this summer, but an extortionate bid could change their minds.

Chelsea are still regarded as one of the frontrunners to sign the 24-year-old, who is under contract in Naples until 2025 and will likely command at least €100m (£87.6m) during the upcoming window.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen applauds fans after the match on March 3, 2023 © Reuters

In a bid to drive the price down, Calciomercato claims that out-of-favour attacker Pulisic could be thrown in to sweeten the deal in a player-plus-cash transfer.

The United States international was already struggling to make a consistent impression under Graham Potter and has since been pushed further down the pecking order by Mykhaylo Mudryk and Joao Felix.

Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti is supposedly an admirer of Pulisic's qualities, but the 24-year-old's salary - thought to be in the region of £150,000 a week - could make an arrival in Naples impractical.

Furthermore, AC Milan and Juventus are also believed to be keen to end Pulisic's underwhelming Chelsea stint, which has seen him provide 26 goals and 21 assists in 139 appearances.

The former Borussia Dortmund man has just one goal and two assists to show from 24 games this season, having started just seven Premier League matches, most recently in the weekend's 2-2 draw with Everton.

Christian Pulisic in Chelsea training on September 13, 2022 © Reuters

Meanwhile, a shoulder injury meant that Osimhen did not hit the ground running at Napoli, who poached him from Lille in 2020, but the 24-year-old now has 53 goals and 14 assists to boast from 91 appearances.

Manchester United are expected to rival Chelsea for Osimhen's signature this summer, and the striker has refused to rule out a future move to the Premier League, telling Sport1: "I don't know what the future holds.

"I think I'm on the right track. At the end of the season, I will sit down with my agents and discuss everything. I will also be in talks with the club. I am incredibly grateful to Napoli. We will find a good solution together."

Chelsea are due to welcome Romelu Lukaku back from his loan spell at Inter Milan this summer, but the Belgian seemingly does not have a future at Stamford Bridge and has since been linked with a shock move to Aston Villa.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also expected to head for the exit door after quickly falling out of favour under Potter, while Man United are continuing to search for a permanent successor to Cristiano Ronaldo.