What has gone wrong at Chelsea after billion-pound transfer spree?
Chelsea might have a golden opportunity to sign Victor Osimhen as early as January if he is put up for sale by Napoli. The Nigerian forward was heavily linked with the Blues during the summer after helping Napoli to win their first Serie A title in over three decades last season.
Osimhen ended up staying in Italy after underlining his desire to remain at Napoli, although things appear to have turned sour in the early stages of the new campaign. He was mocked by the club on their official TikTok account following Sunday’s goalless draw against Bologna, in which he missed an opportunity to win the game from the penalty spot.
The video poked fun at Osimhen appealing for the penalty in a strange sped-up voice before it showed the striker blasting his effort off target with the clip then abruptly ending. The post was quickly deleted but has seemingly riled up Osimhen, with his agent Roberto Calenda having since threatened to pursue legal action.
He said on Tuesday evening: “What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable. A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted. We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor.”
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It came just days after Osimhen launched into an angry outburst on the touchline after being substituted against Bologna, an incident for which he has since apologised. It remains to be seen whether the forward’s relationship with Napoli will deteriorate further as a result of the TikTok video, especially if he decides to take legal action against his current employers.
Napoli will be desperate to keep hold of Osimhen given the prolific qualities he possesses in front of goal, as well as his importance to shaping the club’s Serie A triumph last season. However, it has been suggested that a January exit could emerge as an option for Osimhen if the situation escalates due to a legal challenge.
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This would certainly represent a huge opportunity for Chelsea to strengthen their forward line by adding one of Europe’s most dangerous marksmen to their ranks. The Blues have struggled in front of goal for the last two seasons and are crying out for a top-class forward to lead the line under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino.
New signing Nicolas Jackson has failed to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge, with the 22-year-old seemingly better at picking up yellow cards than he is at finding the back of the net. Armando Broja has previously been tasked with playing up front for the Blues but is nowhere near as good as Osimhen, who would be another statement signing for the club if he joins their squad in January.
Napoli have rejected every approach made for Osimhen in the past but have been tipped to sell him if they are promised a transfer fee of around ยฃ100million, while he is rated at ยฃ104m by Transfermarkt. Only time will tell if Chelsea would be willing to splash the cash if Osimhen is made available in January, although they could do far worse than to capitalise on his increasingly volatile situation at the turn of the year.
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