Chelsea are back in talks with Napoli for Victor Osimhen, with Romelu Lukaku set to join Serie A club

Chelsea have returned to talks with Napoli over the signing of striker Victor Osimhen, talkSPORT understands.

Osimhen has asked to leave Napoli but is reluctant to join the Blues on anything other than a permanent deal.

Napoli have already signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea to replace the Nigerian, who has a release clause of more than £100m in his contract.

Osimhen is reportedly one of four forwards the Blues are targeting as potential signings before the transfer window closes on August 30.

But the new Blues coach Enzo Maresca is particularly keen to bring in the 25-year-old, who has been highly rated for his performances.

Osimhen trained at the Ultimate Strikers Academy in his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria, before making a name for himself at the U-17 World Cup. He then spent two seasons as a Wolfsburg player (one on loan at Charleroi) and one at Lille before joining Napoli in 2020.

He has shone in Serie A and was the league's top scorer in 2023 when Napoli won the trophy.

Now, Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has confirmed over the weekend that Osimhen is pushing to leave the club before the window ends.

“Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the club,” he said. “He wants to leave.

“The situation is clear, there were already possibilities of him leaving last summer. Victor wants to leave. We will see in the next 20 days.”

And manager Maresca is not the only one who is really interested in seeing the striker move to London.

Chelsea legend Juan Obi Mikel He recently spoke about how excited he was at the prospect of this transfer and that he planned to do his part to make sure it happened.

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“We don't need someone who comes in and creates chances. We want someone who can shoot, score goals and shoot,” Obi Mikel said in a recent video.

“Someone like Erling Haaland. That's something Victor Osimhen will bring to Chelsea.

“I hope Chelsea fans finally see him coming to the club. I'll be sure to text and call him, to make sure Chelsea is his top priority!”

“But he seems to love the club and wants to come to Chelsea. I'm sure all the big clubs want to sign him. I think if we can secure his signing it would be fantastic for the club.”

“He's someone who will score goals for us and that's something we need right now. He's a fantastic guy, a fantastic human being and I really hope he comes to the club and I'll do everything I can to make sure he does.”

And he was not the only club icon who was doing everything he could to sell Chelsea to the Nigerian.

“Didier (Drogba) is also talking to him, sharing his own ideas and what the club means to us,” he said. “We all want to see Victor come to the club. If it happens, it will happen.”

“It's a huge transfer fee, but if we can match it and bring him to the club, that would be absolutely fantastic.”