David Ornstein’s report today has backed up the excited whispers of the last 24 hours. The move to take Romelu Lukaku for a reunion with Antonio Conte at Napoli is very much on – and Chelsea could get a top striker in return.
The insider wrote for the Athletic that Chelsea are in “ongoing discussions” with the Italians, while a separate (but related) chat is going on about sending Victor Osimhen the other direction.
So far our summer has seem focused on cheaper options and trying to find a suitable alternative and backup to Nicolas Jackson, who showed plenty of promise in his first season at Chelsea. But Osimhen is a long term target, and it’s certainly possible we blow up our plans if we think he’s available and affordable.
An unofficial swap deal which could suit everyone
We’ve seen all manner of interesting unofficial swap deals arranged this summer as Premier League clubs have joined their European peers (who have been doing it for years) in dreaming up clever ways of allowing them to spend beyond their limits.
This would be a particularly difficult one to arrange – as Ornstein explains, Lukaku’s move would be permanent, and Osimhen’s a loan with a buy option. That would stop it being an actual swap, although the evidence of this summer is that it’s unlikely it would have been arranged that way anyway.
That would suit Chelsea down to the ground – they get rid of the millstone that’s been dragging down their wage bill for years, while getting a test run to see if Osimhen is a hit in the Premier League, and if they can get into the Champions League this year to keep him happy.
The snag, of course, will be the wages. This is the Nigerian’s big payday, while Chelsea are looking to keep things restricted and sensible.
