Victor Osimhen: How Conte to Napoli gives new life to Chelsea transfer chances

Published on by Emmanuel Ayamga

Victor Osimhen’s future remains a matter of uncertainty despite the Napoli forward emphasising that he knows exactly where he’ll be playing next season.

Osimhen’s stint in Italy has been a massive success so far and leading Napoli to win the league last year was the pinnacle of it all. However, the 25-year-old appears destined to close his chapter with the Partenopei after the current campaign and has been linked with several clubs in Europe. At the start of the year, the Nigeria international was said to be on the radar of Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and some Saudi clubs.

In recent months, though, Chelsea and PSG have been mooted as the leading candidates for the striker’s signature, although the Ligue 1 giants have stolen a march on the Blues due to being more financially stable at the moment.

Victor Osimhen currently has a €130 million release clause which was inserted into his contract by Napoli when he signed a contract extension last December. While Chelsea are not in the position to spend that much in the summer after splashing close to a billion euros in the last three transfer windows, Napoli’s reported interest in Antonio Conte as their next coach could open the doors for the Blues to sign Osimhen.

Conte to Napoli is gathering steam

Conte has been without a job since parting ways with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur last year. The 54-year-old is, however, a proven winner, having led both Chelsea and Inter Milan to be crowned champions in England and Italy, respectively.

He was also the manager who started Juventus’ resurgence in 2012 and is rumoured to be on the radar of Napoli, who haven’t done too well under current manager Francesco Calzona, with the Partenopei occupying the ninth position in Serie A and at risk of missing out on European qualification.

Victor Osimhen: How Conte to Napoli is first step in rekindling Chelsea transfer
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Sky Italia reports that Conte is ready to join Napoli and is waiting for the club’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis to make him an offer. The report further suggests meetings have already taken place between both men and an agreement is all that is left to be reached.

Napoli are, however, said to be considering Stefano Pioli, Gian Piero Gasperini and Roberto De Zerbi as alternatives, should their move for Conte fail to materialise.

What Conte to Napoli means for Victor Osimhen’s potential Chelsea move

Meanwhile, Sky Italia, via Area Napoli, reports that Conte would look to bring Romelu Lukaku to Napoli if he’s appointed as the club’s head coach.

Conte and Lukaku previously worked together at Inter Milan and won the Scudetto together in the 2020/21 season. The Italian manager still rates Lukaku highly and recently revealed that he wanted to sign the Belgian even while he was at Juventus in 2013.

“Lukaku has a unique characteristic. That's why I really wanted him at Inter. I had been following him for a while, I even asked Juventus about him when he was playing for West Bromwich Albion,” Conte told Sky Italia last year.

“It's difficult to find a player who can be such a good focal point in the area and, at the same thing, generate pace from deep like him. That's his characteristic, it's the same that I see in Haaland.”

Conte’s fondness for Lukaku opens the doors for Chelsea to make a move for Victor Osimhen if the Italian coach joins Napoli. Lukaku, who is currently on loan at AS Roma, remains a Chelsea player and a swap deal could be on the cards if everything goes according to plan.

Napoli want Conte, Conte wants Lukaku but Lukaku is owned by Chelsea, and Chelsea want Osimhen who’s a Napoli player. It could all work for the good of each party and the Blues would be able to afford the Nigerian without breaching FFP regulations.

Victor Osimhen: How Conte to Napoli gives new life to Chelsea transfer chances

Emmanuel Ayamga

Emmanuel Ayamga is a Ghanaian journalist with a little over five years of experience writing about African football.

His articles and features have been published in renowned news media like Pulse Ghana, The Guardian, DW, Al Jazeera and Sportskeeda. His bylines can also be found in the UK journals World Soccer Magazine and These Football Times.