The Chelsea and Victor Osimhen odyssey took another turn this week as the Blues have reportedly dropped interest in the striker. The Blues have been linked with several targets including Osimhen, Liam Delap, Benjamin Sesko, and Ivan Toney but only the Nigerian star was actually close to joining the club.
Osimhen was on his way to Chelsea last summer but the deal fell through at the last minute and he joined Galatasaray on loan instead. The end of his relationship with Napoli made it seem like he was an obvious target for the Blues this summer but things have changed with club brass and they are no longer interested.
Caught Offside reported this thanks to their inside sources at the club and they believe that Chelsea have turned their attention to younger options at striker. This would include the aforementioned Delap and Sesko who were both born in 2003 and should both be available this summer.
Delap is the more straightforward acquisition as he reportedly has a £40m release clause in his contract if Ipswich Town get relegated. They are 12 points behind 17th place with 7 matches to go so it is a near certainty if not a mathematical one that they are playing in the Championship next season.
As for Osimhen, he is on the older side and acquiring him would be a departure from the Chelsea philosophy of buying players in their early 20s. Many Chelsea fans thought that the struggles of the forwards at the club would convince the club that it was time to look beyond their limited age scope but this report suggests otherwise.
The likely path forward now is that Chelsea go ahead with Nicolas Jackson as the primary striker and buy a young player to back him up and push him for minutes. Sesko or Delap would not be immediate first choice strikers like Osimhen would be so they fit that bill.
Jackson has been the best striker at Chelsea this season and the attack is much more potent with him in the lineup, but he is not the most clinical finisher. Perhaps the club feels that he can grow into that role and continue to improve his finishing in order to reach that world class level.
As for now, Chelsea will have to continue to rely on potential and hope rather than going out and getting a player in Osimhen that is a finished product and a complete striker.