Chelsea transfer target refuses to celebrate goal as interest intensifies from Saudi Arabia

Chelsea claimed a much needed 1-0 victory against Brighton in the Carabao Cup with new-recruit Nicolas Jackson bagging a second half winner.

The strike was just his second in Chelsea colours and Blues fans will hope it is a goal that inspires him into a rich vein of form. The West London side’s victory was just their third in all competitions this season and their second in the Carabao Cup. It is also their first goal in the entire month of September after goalless displays against Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.

Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards recently described Chelsea as a “fizzy drink that goes flat” when referring to their output in the final third, during an episode on the Rest Is Football podcast. Richards was quick to praise the efforts of Mauricio Pochettino, who he claims is doing all the right things without having an “out and out goalscorer.”

Such comments from Richards and other football experts have prompted speculation of a huge January transfer in attack as Chelsea aim to propel themselves back into European competitions.

One of the top targets on Chelsea’s radar is Napoli attacker Victor Osimhen who scored an incredible 26 goals from 32 appearances as his team lifted their first Serie A title in 33 years.

The Nigerian striker is currently viewed as one of the best strikers in European football and he is known for his excellent strength, speed and athleticism, as well as his intelligence to find space in front of goal.

The 24-year-old was linked with a host of major clubs during the summer transfer window but Napoli were determined to keep hold of their talisman and resisted any temptation to sell the forward.

However, his relationship with Napoli has soured greatly in recent weeks as he has been the unsuspecting subject of chaos at the club that was kick-started by TikTok videos mocking the striker.

The first ill-advised video shows the striker appealing for a penalty, whilst using a strange sped-up voice with the caption “gimme penalty please’ before he blazed the penalty wide of the post.

Moments later Napoli posted a second video which compares Osimhen to a coconut.

The Nigerian striker’s agent Roberto Calenda claims the striker is considering taking legal action against the club, while uncertainty surrounding his future was fueled when he deleted all pictures of himself wearing the Napoli shirt as reported by the Daily Mail.

Osimhen returned to goalscoring form in his most recent outing for Napoli they defeated Udinese by 4-1 on Wednesday but the striker refused to celebrate his goal in the latest act of the souring relationship.

The striker has scored four goals in six Serie A appearances despite the uncertainty surrounding his future and he has also showcased his talent at international level with 20 goals in 26 caps for Nigeria.

Oshimhen’s talent makes him a top target for Chelsea, while Real Madrid are also targeting a forward to fill the void left by the departure of Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema.

But Mail Sport understands that Saudi Arabia are leading the race to sign the striker as they are in the best position to afford his wages.

Any pursuit by Chelsea would be complicated by a new wage structure introduced by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital following their takeover in 2022.

Chelsea’s owners have implemented an incentivised pay structure to player contracts linked to Champions League qualification that sees their wages fluctuate depending on whether they were playing in the competition.

The London outfit are also hoping to significantly reduce their wage bill from last season to account for the fact that they are no longer in a European tournament.

Osimhen’s current contract at Napoli runs until the summer of 2025, which could prompt the club to cash in on the player in the winter window.