Victor Osimhen has been recognized among the 30 nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or Award following a breakthrough season with Napoli that saw him register 31 goals in all competitions
Premier League side Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli and the report saying so claims they may even have agreed on a deal already, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 24-year-old was arguably the most coveted striker in the recently closed transfer window this summer, but Napoli held firm and kept their center-forward.
However, interest in the Nigerian forward from other clubs is not going to fade away anytime soon.
Osimhen has had an incredible year, having been recently recognized among the 30 nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or Award following his title-winning achievement with Napoli last season.
He became one of the most highly-rated strikers on the planet last season when his 26 goals helped Napoli to a rare Serie A title.
Chelsea have now reportedly decided to make Osimhen their top target for the summer of 2024.
Meanwhile, they are said to have taken the lead in the race to sign him, ahead of rival suitors such as Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
The report even hints they might have agreed to a deal with Osimhen already, which is why they were happy enough just to add Nicolas Jackson up front this summer, according to TEAMTALK.
Centre-forward has been something of a problem position for Chelsea for a while now. Players like Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner have been prolific elsewhere but have struggled to replicate those talents at Stamford Bridge in recent years.
This season, Mauricio Pochettino can choose between Jackson and Armando Broja as his main options at center-forward, as well as another new arrival, Deivid Washington.
Christopher Nkunku was also brought in over the summer from RB Leipzig to add a new element to their attack, but he has since suffered an injury.
Depending on how they do this season, Chelsea could be in a strong position to offer Osimhen the next step and a first taste of Premier League football.
The former Lille striker has started the season from where he left off last year, scoring 3 goals from the 3 games he has played so far.
Osihmen also scored a hat trick to help Nigeria claim a 6-0 victory over minnows Sao Tome and Principe in their last Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo last Sunday.
