Chelsea initiate first contacts for striker, €80-90m plus Romelu Lukaku deal discussed: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly initiated first contact with Napoli regarding the signing of Victor Osimhen which could see Romelu Lukaku move to the Italian club in exchange. As reported by Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio, the west London giants are ready to offer around €80 to €90 million for the signature of the Nigeria international as well as two players in exchange.

Lukaku is one of the players Chelsea are prepared to offer to Napoli for Osimhen while another is an unnamed young player. Giovanni Manna, who will take over at Napoli as their next sporting director, wanted Lukaku at Juventus and is said to be keen on bringing the Belgian to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Victor Osimhen, meanwhile, has been one of the most coveted players on the planet of late with Chelsea being his long-term admirers. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have also been heavily linked with a move for the 25-year-old as they look to bring a new talisman following Kylian Mbappe's imminent departure.

However, as per Di Marzio, Chelsea have established the first contact with Napoli for their star striker. Osimhen has established himself as a reliable finisher during his time at Lille and Napoli and is still quite young.

Osimhen has so far contributed with 75 goals and 18 assists in 130 appearances across competitions for Napoli since his club record €70 million switch from Lille in 2020. The 25-year-old has scored 16 times this season in 29 appearances in all competitions while producing four assists.

Lukaku, on the other hand, has been a huge flop at Stamford Bridge during his second stint at the club. The Belgium international was re-signed by the Blues in 2021 for a club-record £97.5 million but has struggled to make a solid impact.

Lukaku scored just 15 goals and provided one assist in 44 appearances during the 2021-22 season. The former Manchester United striker has since been on loan at Inter Milan and AS Roma where he has been pretty decent.

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Chelsea youngster heaps praise on Mauricio Pochettino

Chelsea youngster Alfie Gilchrist has heaped praise on manager Mauricio Pochettino for giving him plenty of confidence. The 20-year-old has insisted that the Argentine manager allows his players to play freely on the pitch.

Gilchrist has been one of the breakout players for Mauricio Pochettino's side this season having featured 14 times for the senior team this season.

The youngster has been used across the backline and has impressed with his maturity and versatility. While reflecting Pochettino's impact on players, the Chelsea defender said:

"He has given me a lot of confidence and got me to keep believing and do my thing and play my football for Chelsea. He keeps us calm and tells us what to do. We are all still learning, and the support is brilliant. I feel like [he believed in me] after I came on after my debut at Palace. He started pushing me even more. I got my first start and built a good relationship with him from there."

"I sat up in the East Stand upper. I wanted to be down here playing whenever I was up there. That’s what I am doing now. If you told me this would happen before the season, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, but it is a dream come true. I hope to keep ticking off these achievements. I feel I have taken my chance tonight. These games will only help me and I will keep improving when I keep testing myself against the best players. My family say keep going and believe in your ability," Gilchrist added.

Gilchrist is currently contracted at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2026 and is tipped to become a key player for the Blues in the years to come.