Chelsea on red alert as Mikel Arteta plots Victor Osimhen and Martin Zubimendi Arsenal transfers

Chelsea could soon be dealt a major blow to their chances of signing Victor Osimhen in the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old striker has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League for a while now as he continues to impress for Napoli.

football.london understands that the Blues wanted to sign Osimhen last summer, but Gli Azzurri were determined to hold onto their talisman – so Nicolas Jackson was signed from Villarreal instead. It’s believed that the west Londoners viewed the Nigeria international as somebody who could have transformed the club’s misfortunes in front of goal but, without Champions League qualification, any bid to sign him proved difficult.

Chelsea remain some way off top-four this season, but football.london understands that they’re still interested in signing Osimhen. While the Blues may be long admirers of the Nigerian, who sees his contract at the Diego Maradona Stadium expire in 18 months, they’re set to face tough competition for his signature.

According to the Mirror, Arsenal are also interested, having previously met with his representatives back in 2022. The report states that no decision has been made by the Gunners on their primary striker target, with Ivan Toney said to be on Mikel Arteta’s radar too.

The Mirror add that Osimhen has a newly-inserted release clause in his contract with Napoli, which is said to be worth between £100million and £110m. Late last month, Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed that it’s been the Italian club’s plan to cash-in on the striker all along.

“We already knew it since last summer,” the Napoli president said. “The negotiation for the renewal would not have been this long otherwise. We already knew he would go to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or the Premier League.”