Victor Osimhen: 5 Players Chelsea Could Sell, Including Sterling and Chilwell, to Fund His Signing
- Chelsea have been in contact with Napoli for weeks to explore the signing of Victor Osimhen
- The Blues are exploring different options, but so far, there has not been any breakthrough
- The Premier League club have to sell off some of their big earners to free up funds and space
Chelsea are the only European club left locked in negotiations over the signing of Victor Osimhen from Napoli, with the striker expected to leave Italy this summer.
Osimhen's £113 million release clause and wage demands have proved to be a stumbling block, making Chelsea want to explore suitable options not to breach financial fair play regulations.
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The Blues will have to let go of some top stars to raise funds and free up space on their strict wage bill to accommodate the Super Eagles forward before the deadline day.
Though the club have sold Conor Gallagher, Ian Maatsen, and Lewis Hall to raise funds, their wages do not free up significant space on the wage bill, and they will have to sell more.
Briefly News looks at players Chelsea can sell to help fund Osimhen's move.
Players Chelsea can sell
1. Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian wants to leave Stamford Bridge with Napoli interested. He is on a massive wage of £325,000 per week, which the club are ready to get rid of. Even though Napoli are interested, the idea of a swap deal has been muted. According to Team Talk, the Italian’s first offer of €25 million was rejected as Chelsea wanted €40mil.
2. Raheem Sterling
The England international is on the same wages as Lukaku. The club are ready to let go and supported manager Enzo Maresca's decision to leave him out of the squad to face Manchester City. A deal is difficult due to his wages, but the club hope to get it on and recoup a significant amount from the £47.5mil he cost two years ago.
3. Ben Chilwell
Maresca publicly told the vice-captain to find a new club as he cannot find a position for him. Chilwell is on £200,000 per week, a salary the club deems too high for a player who has been unavailable for most of the last seasons due to injury. According to Mirror UK, a fee in the region of £25mil will be enough for clubs interested.
4. Kepa Arrizabalaga
The Spanish goalkeeper was the most expensive in the world when he moved to Stamford Bridge in 2018. He failed to justify the price tag and spent last season on loan at Real Madrid. He is on £190,000 per week. According to The Athletic, the Saudi club Al-Ittihad inquired about him in July, but a fee could not be agreed upon.
5. Trevoh Chalobah
The academy star was left out of the travelling squad for the US pre-season tour and was told to find solutions regarding his future. The Blues demand £25mil, which is a big fee considering that he is an academy star.
Chelsea fans clamour for Osimhen
Briefly News reported that Chelsea fans clamoured for Victor Osimhen to be signed after watching only 67 minutes of Nicolas Jackson’s poor display in front of goal during their defeat to Manchester City.
The club have been linked to Nigeria, but some fans raised concerns over his suitability to Maresca's style. However, what they saw in their opening game convinced them he was their man.
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Source: Legit.ng
