Chelsea in talks for late “monster” signing

Chelsea have shuffled their squad pack this summer and are starting to shape up nicely under Enzo Maresca , obliterating Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend.

Noni Madueke showed Wolves no respect after bagging an emphatic hat-trick in the 6-2 drubbing, with Cole Palmer opening his account before setting the fiery winger up for all three of his strikes.

Having lost their Premier League opener against Manchester City, Chelsea look like they could grow into a force under the Italian tactician, and while Nicolas Jackson and Joao Felix both got on the scoresheet, signing another striker wouldn’t go amiss.

Chelsea eyeing one more deal

According to Sky Sports‘ Dharmeth Sheth, Chelsea are back in talks for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen , who is at the centre of discussions with Saudi Pro League team Al Ahli.

Napoli are willing to complete the transaction but Osimhen is demanding a release clause to consider the move, evidently so that he has a clear route back into Europe in the near future.

The 25-year-old has been on Chelsea’s radar throughout the summer, however, and a late-stage swoop cannot be ruled out, though the Blues would require him to lower his exorbitant £500k-per-week salary demands .

What Osimhen would bring to Chelsea

Chelsea are at the doorway of a brand new world, and while there has been a lot of noise around BlueCo’s scattergun spending, it’s actually more streamlined than it might seem, with the bloated squad being trimmed ahead of the transfer deadline at the end of the week.

Jackson and 18-year-old Marc Guiu make up Maresca’s established out-and-out strikers but it’s hard to see a world where Osimhen doesn’t insinuate himself in the starting line-up from the bat, having plundered 76 goals and 18 assists across 133 fixtures for Napoli and been hailed as “one of the best strikers in the world ” by Joao Cancelo.

The Nigeria international endured an injury-affected 2023/24 season that coincided with his side, the defending Serie A champion, slumping to a bleak tenth-place finish, though he still scored 17 goals and added four assists over 32 games (27 starts).

Should the Blues get their mitts on a focal frontman of this calibre, Maresca could be set for a fruitful first year indeed, with creativity and electric players in abundance.

Jackson scored and assisted at Molineux but he is a raw and unpolished product, perhaps finding that competition with one of Europe’s pre-eminent sharpshooters could lift his game.

And anyway, Chelsea could actually find themselves sculpting a dynamic duo to go down in the history books, should Osimhen be welcomed to the fold. Yes, Palmer could turn the 25-year-old into a monster to rival that of Erling Haaland.

Palmer is rather good at football, isn’t he? It could prove to be the best £42.5m ever forked out in the world of sport if he continues to thrive as Stamford Bridge’s all-powerful talisman, hailed as “goal.com/en-gb/lists/cole-palmer-best-in-the-world-chelsea-captain-reece-james-leaves-ex-man-city-man-blushing/bltfb99b844b270e239#cs18d69a13eaf772a3″ rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>one of the best in the world ” by Chelsea captain Reece James.

The Manchester City youth product, still only 22, has scored 26 goals from just 48 appearances for Chelsea, but his playmaking ability is equally as remarkable, evidenced by his masterclass in Wolverhampton.

It’s got us thinking: could the arrival of Osimhen rebirth one of the Premier League’s all-time partnerships in Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba ?

Chelsea’s next Lampard & Drogba

Ah, the halcyon days. Chelsea have won it all over the past few decades, with Lampard and Drogba two of the most influential players throughout the years of illustrious success.

Ivorian Legen Drogba scored 164 goals for the Londoners, perenially the man for the big occasion. Lampard, one of England’s finest midfielders, posted 211 goals (making him Chelsea’s record scorer) and 148 assists over 648 matches , with his potency unrivalled by but a smattering of the game’s greatest.

Together, they were truly something special, meshing together to bring goals and assists down in lashings, claiming a sizeable collection of silverware on the way.

Palmer is more silky, a bit more crisp in his all-round play than Lampard, who was more versatile and influential across different phases, but both have the tag of elite-level attacking midfielder, and Palmer is only just getting started.

The England international actually ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, and the same for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and the top 6% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref , so Osimhen would hardly be starved for service.

To deepen the argument, the Naples-based striker is not just a one-trick pony either, with a redoubtable physical presence, prick-point sharp link-up play and a creative streak that could see him emulate the iconic Drogba.

Described as a “monster” by analyst Raj Chohan , Osimhen is truly one of the world’s finest, and now that Chelsea supporters have been given a taste of the kind of frightening attacking talent at their disposal, it’s hard to imagine anything other than success, should this final piece of the puzzle be completed.

Ah, the halcyon days indeed – Lampard and Drogba might be a force of the past, but it could be reborn with the signing of Osimhen, who could propel Palmer to heights unimaginable – and that’s saying something.