Chelsea consider swap deal for Osimhen

Chelsea are reportedly considering offering Romelu Lukaku and Cesare Casadei in a swap deal to reduce the cost of signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Nigeria international, who signed a new contract with Napoli in December 2023, is frustrated by the lack of interest in the transfer market.

Napoli had hoped to sell Osimhen for his €130m release clause, but that price is considered too high by potential suitors including Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are exploring a player swap deal to reduce Osimhen’s overall price tag.

Chelsea are reportedly discussing several player swap options with Napoli to reduce the overall cost of the transfer. Romelu Lukaku, who is not part of Chelsea’s plans and is a preferred choice of new Napoli coach Antonio Conte, is a key candidate for the swap. While names like Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah have also been mentioned, they have not appealed to Napoli.

Despite the high release clause, Chelsea, through intermediaries, remain interested in the striker’s situation. Other big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid do not seem particularly interested in Osimhen.

While Chelsea’s interest has cooled due to Napoli’s tough stance on the release clause, the club are continuing to monitor the situation, hoping the price could decrease as the transfer window progresses.

The 25-year-old Nigerian striker is eager for a new challenge and has reached a gentlemen’s agreement with Napoli president De Laurentiis to leave this summer. However, no club is willing to pay the €130m release clause.

Napoli may need to lower their asking price to monetise the transfer, ideally not going below €100m, a figure still considered high by Chelsea.

Casadei, a 21-year-old Italian midfielder who joined Chelsea from Inter for €14.86 million in 2022 and was loaned to Leicester City, could be an interesting option for Conte. With Piotr Zielinski leaving Napoli for Inter as a free agent, Casadei could fill that void.

If Lukaku and Casadei are included in the deal, Chelsea hope to pay just €60m in cash for Osimhen.