Chelsea may not have to match Victor Osimhen’s €130million release clause to land their long-term striker target.
The January window closed with the Nigerian international still in place at Napoli, despite a constant hum of speculation linking him with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all mentioned.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side appear to have been the frontrunners to land the 25-year-old so far, as the club look to bolster their attack amid another disappointing season that sees them currently sitting tenth in the Premier League table.
And according to transfer journalist Ben Jacobs, the Blues may be able to land the in-demand forward for less than the €130million that has been quoted in the media.
“We know that there's this release clause with Victor Osimhen, and that will be used as a kind of market valuation, whether it's triggered, or whether it's matched in some form remains to be seen,” Jacobs told FourFourTwo, speaking on January 26. “I think a lot of suitors feel like they may even be able to get a bit lower than the release clause for Victor Osimhen because it's clear that if he thought that Napoli would be difficult, then he simply wouldn't have extended: he would have then given himself the opportunity to even go this month.
“There's a very strong chance that Chelsea are front of the queue as things currently stand. So expect Chelsea to be there and I think Arsenal will be in the mix as well, looking at both Osimhen and Ivan Tony. We can't rule out Manchester United but with Jim Ratcliffe coming in, it depends on where they finish and if they get Champions League football: they’re not necessarily going to have these giant budgets to spend.”
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