Victor Osimhen to Chelsea transfer: Todd Boehly admission and Jose Mourinho £17m help

Last weekend's 3-2 win over Luton Town highlighted both Chelsea's promise under Mauricio Pochettino and the need for improvement as the three points nearly slipped away in a crazy end to the match.

The January transfer window is a notoriously tricky time for business but Chelsea continue to be linked with a big-money move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen to add a reliable goal source to their squad. LondonWorld walks through the latest rumours and opinions surrounding the deal.

Osimhen 'dream target' for Todd Boehly

Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips has outlined that Victor Osimhen remains the 'dream target' for the ambitious Todd Boehly on his Substack. While the deal is tricky, the Chelsea owner is determined that it can be done.

He said: “The Chelsea hierarchy want to sign Victor Osimhen, he has been the dream target since last summer and that remains the case now. He’s the main target as far as the likes of Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly are concerned – they want to bring him in and I believe they will at least enquire to see if it is possible if they haven’t already."

How Nkunku move could inspire Chelsea and Napoli agreement

With Osimhen having signed a new contract with Napoli last summer, Chelsea may accept that they cannot bring the play to Stamford Bridge in January to kickstart their Premier League season. Nonetheless, they could use a familiar tactic to ensure the player will become theirs once the summer transfer window opens.

Speaking on The Done Deal Show, Ben Jacobs explained that the two clubs may well reach a deal at some point this month with the Blues keen to beat rival interest but it would be on a pre-summer agreement that would only see the talisman arrive in London after the season ends. Napoli are already 17 points off league leaders Inter and can't afford to lose their key man with much improvement needed.

Jacobs admitted that while it remains far from 'locked in' at Chelsea or any other club, the Blues have history in completing pre-summer deals, such as the agreement struck for Christopher Nkunku last year.

Jose Mourinho could help with Osimhen fund

If Chelsea are going to pull off the Osimhen coup, it won't come cheap with the Nigerian believed to have a £112 million release clause in his Napoli deal. To make that happen, Todd Boehly and his colleagues will have to move players on from Stamford Bridge to free up funds.

Conor Gallagher continues to be linked with rivals Tottenham Hotspur while Borussia Dortmund sniff around Ian Maatsen but another star who could be on his way out of London is Trevoh Chalobah. That's where familiar face Jose Mourinho could play a part in helping Osimhen on his way to Chelsea.

Italian transfer man Rudy Glaetti claims that Chalobah has been offered to Mourinho's Roma. Chelsea initially wanted £50 million for the player, which would go a long way to funding Osimhen, but could now accept a much lower £17 million. The Serie A club may prefer a loan deal but the Blues' willingness to drop their price could help convince Mourinho to splash the cash and contribute to the Osimhen fund.

Chelsea have impressive Osimhen alternative lined up

Should Osimhen not end up at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will be forced to look at alternatives to add potency to their attack and The Sun reports that Artem Dovbyk could offer a more affordable option.

The 26-year-old star plays for Girona, who are enjoying an unbelievable La Liga season, vying with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletico Madrid at the top of the table. The Ukraine international has bagged 12 goals in 20 appearances across all competitions and has turned heads across Europe.