Chelsea Football Club has reportedly made Victor Osimhen their primary transfer target after their move for Atlético Madrid’s young striker, Samu Omorodion, fell apart.
The London club had initially set its sights on the 20-year-old Omorodion, a player eligible to represent Nigeria internationally, and had seemingly reached an agreement with Atlético Madrid for a transfer fee of around €35 million.
The deal was set to include Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher moving to the Spanish club.
Despite the initial progress, negotiations with Omorodion hit a snag. While Gallagher had already traveled to Spain as part of the deal, the personal terms between Chelsea and Omorodion were not fully agreed upon.
The striker’s involvement in the Olympics further delayed the discussions. After Spain’s triumph at the Olympics, which saw Omorodion help secure a gold medal, talks resumed but quickly broke down again due to unspecified complications in the contract’s fine print.
As a result of this unexpected setback, Chelsea has turned their attention to Napoli’s star forward, Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian international is now reportedly the top priority for the Blues as they look to strengthen their attacking options before the transfer window closes.
Osimhen has been a key player for Napoli and would bring considerable firepower to Chelsea’s frontline if a deal can be struck.
Also, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Atlético Madrid is now in discussions with Chelsea to send João Félix to Stamford Bridge, which could still facilitate Gallagher’s move to Spain. The collapse of the Omorodion deal has forced Chelsea to explore other options, with Osimhen now at the forefront of their plans.
