Chelsea
are interested in signing Victor Osimhen from Napoli as negotiations
continue over Romelu Lukaku heading in the opposite direction.
The size of the numbers involved had put Chelsea off signing Osimhen earlier
in the window, but a potential deal could be revived as the clubs continue
discussions over Lukaku going to the Serie A side.
The Belgium international's exit would free up a sizeable amount of money on
Chelsea's wage bill, although a deal for Osimhen is still difficult to do
but has not been ruled out.
Napoli are willing to do a deal for the Nigeria international after he
signed a new contract in December that included a significant pay rise and a
release clause worth more than £100m.
The 25-year-old has scored 76 goals in 133 appearances for the Italian side
since joining from Lille in July 2020.
Osimhen and Lukaku are training away from the rest of their respective
squads amid the uncertainty over their futures.
New Napoli head coach Antonio Conte really wants to sign Lukaku, whom he
managed for two seasons at Inter Milan.
The 31-year-old, who joined Chelsea in August 2021 for £97.5m, spent last
season on loan at Roma as he scored 21 goals in 47 games in all
competitions.
Atletico Madrid in Gallagher talks
Atletico Madrid remain in talks with Chelsea over a potential deal for Conor
Gallagher.
A sizable gap in valuation still exists between the clubs, with the LaLiga
side hoping to negotiate down Chelsea's £40m demands.
Atletico had a £30m offer rejected earlier in the window and remain keen to
sign him.
Tottenham are also expected to make an offer for the England international.
Ange Postecoglou's side have a long-term interest in the 24-year-old and
tried to sign him last summer.
Aston Villa have also had an interest in Gallagher, who is set to return
from his post-Euros holiday soon.
Cause for concern? Off-field upheaval and
problems on the pitch for Chelsea
Putting too much weight onto pre-season results is a perennial trap that
must be avoided. But while alarm bells may not yet be ringing at Chelsea,
their performances during their US tour so far will have many fans concerned
that a summer of off-field upheaval has brought further problems on the
pitch.
New boss Enzo Maresca shrugged that his side "are going to concede goals"
with the play-out-from-the-back style he is trying to impose after defensive
errors saw Chelsea struggle to a 2-2 draw with League One Wrexham in their
first outing Stateside.
But letting in four against Celtic was probably beyond his acceptable
allowance.
In both games - with all the caveats of pre-season in place - Chelsea looked
open, unsure and error-prone. Whether it was Wrexham or Celtic forwards,
there was repeatedly space in behind to exploit - or Chelsea defenders
giving the ball back to the opposition in dangerous areas.
When does the summer transfer window open
and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window officially closes on August 30 at 11pm UK
time in the Premier League and 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the
other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following
discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
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