'Deal will be done' - Chelsea tipped to seal huge £67m transfer in January window

Chelsea may have had one of the most intriguing summers of spending but their first January arrival has already been predicted with the latest reports indicating the ‘deal will be done’.

Eleven new stars came to Stamford Bridge but the Nigerian sensation Victor Osimhen was not one of them, despite continuous links between Enzo Maresca’s side and Napoli’s goal-scoring ace.

After a summer of intense speculation surrounding where Osimhen could end up this season, - with Chelsea, Arsenal and Saudi Pro League clubs all linked - the striker remained on the books Napoli, entering the final year of his contract. However, after being deemed surplus to requirements by manager Antonio Conte, he was shipped out on loan to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

A permanent January move has, however, been predicted with Osimhen’s compatriot and former Blues star Mikel John Obi saying that it was just a lack of time that prevented Chelsea and Napoli from finalising a deal.

With only a few details left to finalise, however, the ex-defensive midfielder has stated that whenever the deal is picked back up again both parties ‘know where we are’.

Speaking on the Obi One podcast, the former Nigeria international said: “I know what Victor wanted. I know what the club offered him. We finally got to a compromise. Both sides had to compromise: Paperwork, medical and a few issues that we just couldn't get over the line and then we didn’t have much time. The one time you want the seconds. and minutes and hours to slow down a bit it just didn’t work!”

“I think both sides really played their part in terms of getting the deal done and I commend Chelsea for that because I could see the ambition of where they want to take this club now. And also on Victor’s side, if we have to pick this back up again, whenever it is, January or next summer, we know where we are. We know where we’ve stopped and it’s just the little details that need to be finalised and the deal will be done. So for me, the club is in a very happy place with Victor and Victor is in a very happy place with the club.”

As well as the rumours that were linking the striker with a Premier League move, Osimhen had also been the subject of a £67.3m bid from Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli late in the window with Napoli reportedly accepting the bid.

The 25-year-old forward, however, rejected the offer as he continued to hold out for a move to SW6 and Obi has confirmed his compatriot’s disappointment that the subsequent move to Stamford Bridge did not materialise.

“He was disappointed it didn’t happen”, Obi added. “I spoke to him when the transfer window shut, I gave him a call, we spent 20 minutes talking.”

The ex-Blues star - who made nearly 250 Premier League appearances for the Stamford Bridge side - also confirmed that he will now be working closely to ensure that his ‘younger brother’ gets the deal he deserves.

“I want to make sure I get him to the club because I know, not because he’s my friend, or he’s like my younger brother or he’s Nigerian, no, he is one of the best strikers in the world right now, he’s Africa’s best player, I know what he can bring to the club and I’m sure a lot of Chelsea fans know what Victor can bring to the club.

“Victor has come under a lot of criticism about this because people don’t know the ins and outs of what happened. You need to know that before you criticise the kid. Victor really, really wanted to come to the club and he had to compromise a lot to come to the middle because we did reach an agreement in terms of the salary, in terms of what he wants, it was just a few minor details here and there that we couldn’t get over the line.”

Osimhen is currently on international duty with Nigeria and scored his side’s third goal in a 3-0 win against Benin on Saturday.