'No agreement' - Fabrizio Romano issues key Chelsea transfer update ahead of transfer deadline
Chelsea look to have missed out on a deadline day deal for one of their prime summer targets.
Chelsea are set to miss out on a deal to sign Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen with the 11pm transfer deadline set to pass without an agreement. The Blues have been working on a deal to sign the forward before the deadline, reportedly sending officials to Naples in a bid to thrash out a deal before the deadline.
They faced competition from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli, who are now expected to wrap up a deal for Ivan Toney instead, potentially leaving Osimhen in the South of Italy. The Saudi club were always expected to sign one or the other, agreeing deals with both Napoli and Brentford, but they appear to have gone with the England international.
As for Chelsea, the deadline is set to come and go with no agreement between them and Napoli, and much due to the Blues’ big spending over recent years that has left them unable to splash out the £64million it would reportedly take to convince Napoli to sell their world-class forward.
The Blues are said to have submitted a loan deal with an obligation to buy, but Napoli were not keen, and especially not with Al-Ahli offering them upfront cash, albeit that deal looks to be in serious doubt. Napoli were said to be keen to offload Osimhen having signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea on a deal worth £25.2million. Osimhen staying would not be good for Lukaku, either, as he looks for regular starts in Serie A, working under former boss Antonio Conte.
Chelsea are said to have made a fresh approach for Osimhen within a couple of hours of the 11pm deadline, but it was not accepted, according to transfer ‘insider’ Fabrizio Romano. He tweeted 40 minutes before the deadline: “NO agreement between Victor Osimhen and Chelsea even after new proposal presented two hours ago.”
He later added: “Deal completely OFF for Victor Osimhen. No agreement with Chelsea and #CFC delegation now leaving Napoli. If nothing happens from Saudi next 3 days, Osimhen will stay at Napoli but he’s NOT gonna be part of the first team squad. Relationship currently completely broken.”
The Blues may have to make do with what they have up top, though they are set to announce the departure of Raheem Sterling on loan to Arsenal while signing Jadon Sancho on a loan deal from Manchester United with a bargain obligation to buy worth £25million.