Chelsea 'already committing' to talks over January transfer for star Alan Shearer says is a 'top player'

Chelsea could yet revive a deal for a player they failed to sign in the final days of the summer transfer window. The Blues spent significantly again in the summer window, committing as much as £54million to the signing of Pedro Neto alone.

Enzo Maresca was handed a number of new signings as he looked to put his own stamp on his new squad. Chelsea managed to have a more successful window than recent windows, managing to balance their spending with outgoings and reducing the size of the first-team squad significantly through sales and loans.

But one position Chelsea did not manage to strengthen is the striker spot, with the Blues failing with a late bid to land Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen. The Blues reportedly proposed a loan deal but offered a wage that did not satisfied Osimhen’s demands.

Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli decided to sign Ivan Toney instead and the European window slammed shut with Osimhen remaining at Napoli, frozen out of Antonio Conte’s squad following the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.

With the Turkish window remaining open, Osimhen was then loaned to Galatasaray for the rest of the season, albeit with a break clause that will come into effect should a top European side see a bid accepted in January. Chelsea are regarded as one of those top European teams, according to Journalist Kagan Dursun.

January deal on the table

According to Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips, the Blues have already told Osimhen and Napoli that they will discuss terms over a January deal in the near future. Though, it’s true that Chelsea could still face the same problems they encountered in the summer window as they look to strike a deal.

Amid the presence of Premier League financial rules, Chelsea must tread carefully, and they would need to agree a fee with Napoli and a huge wage with the striker himself. Osimhen reportedly has a release clause of £63million after renegotiating that clause upon his loan departure.

Osimhen’s goalscoring exploits have seen him attract plenty of praise over recent years. In the summer, Alan Shearer said of the striker on the Rest is Football podcast: "Me too. I agree with everything you said there, he's a top player and he will score goals and there will be massive clubs going after him for that reason."