End of Osimhen pursuit? Chelsea shift focus to Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface

Victor Osimhen has piqued the interest of Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and a host of other top European clubs for his impressive performance with Napoli

Chelsea is expressing strong interest in securing the services of 23-year-old Nigerian striker Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen for the upcoming season, Soccernet.ng reports.

Earlier, the London side was linked with pursuing Victor Osimhen from Napoli, who aspired to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Didier Drogba.

However, reports from Sport BILD via ESPN suggest that this pursuit may not materialize, as Napoli demands Chelsea to meet Osimhen’s release clause of €130 million.

Given Chelsea’s significant expenditure of €1 billion across the last three transfer windows, the club faces potential financial fair play issues.

As a result, they are considering a more cost-effective option, with Boniface potentially available for €40 million to strengthen their attack for the next season.

Boniface has made a significant impact at Bayer Leverkusen since joining from Union SG last summer for a reported fee of €20.5 million.

In his debut season with the Bundesliga side, he has demonstrated his scoring prowess, tallying 10 goals and seven assists in 16 Bundesliga appearances.

His impressive performances have been pivotal in Bayer Leverkusen’s successful campaign, with the club currently topping the Bundesliga table and maintaining an unbeaten record in 32 games across all competitions.