Victor Osimhen hints at desire to complete Chelsea move

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has seemingly dropped a hint over a potential transfer to Chelsea.

The Blues have been heavily linked with a big-money move for the 25-year-old as Mauricio Pochettino continues his hunt for a new centre-forward.

Speculation surrounding Osimhen's future remains rife even though he signed a contract extension with Napoli last week, committing his future to the Serie A club until June 2026.

Osimhen's new deal is understood to include a release clause worth in the region of £112m, and Chelsea allegedly have plans to trigger that clause in the New Year as they endeavour to move ahead of clubs including Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for his signature.

Pochettino is believed to be on the lookout for a prolific target-man with a physical presence, and Osimhen certainly fits that profile having established himself as one of Europe's most lethal strikers since joining Napoli from Lille in 2020.

The Nigeria international has scored 67 goals in 119 appearances for Napoli across all competitions, including 26 strikes in 32 Serie A matches last season to win the Golden Boot and help the Italian outfit clinch their first Scudetto title for 33 years.

❤️❤️🙏🏽

— Victor Osimhen (@victorosimhen9) December 29, 2023

The 2023 African Footballer of the Year is not the only striker said to be on Chelsea's shortlist, as the likes of Brentford's Ivan Toney, Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres, Copenhagen's Roony Bardghji and Club Brugge's Antonio Nusa have also been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

However, Osimhen remains Chelsea's primary target and the striker has taken to social media to tease supporters just days before the January transfer window opens.

A Nigerian fan on 'X' – formerly known as Twitter – posted a celebratory message to mark Osimhen's 25th birthday on Friday, which read: "Happy Birthday Victor Osimhen, pls come and rescue Chelsea soon."

The post included an image of the striker as a young child wearing a Chelsea shirt, and Osimhen replied to the fan with two heart emojis and a praying emoji.

Osimhen is understandably thankful for the birthday wishes, but whether he is open to the prospect of joining Chelsea as early as January, so soon after penning fresh terms on a new Napoli contract, remains to be seen.

The Nigerian, who has chipped in with seven goals in 13 Serie A appearances so far this season, will look to add to his tally when Napoli welcome Monza to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for their final fixture of 2023 on Friday evening.