It is no surprise that Stamford Bridge is busy during the transfer window. Every summer, Chelsea is one of the busiest in the business, and with the appointment of Enzo Maresca, things have taken a new turn. The Italian manager, along with co-sports directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart, are convinced of bringing two new strikers. One of them is already a proven star, and the other one will be used as a backup. As reports suggest, the players in talks with Chelsea are Villa’s Jhon Duran and Victor Osimhen of Napoli. Both of them are long-term targets, as the striker issue has been prevalent for a while. Maresca wants to gamble, but in a safe way. Although he is looking for a star like Osimhen, he does not want to jeopardise the debut season of the Nigerian with a lack of goals.
Chelsea seeking strikers in Osimhen and Duran
Since Diego Costa left Stamford Bridge, no worthy candidate has been able to replace Striker. A certain faith was laid in big-budget Romelu Lukaku, who turned out to be football’s biggest mercenary. In recent times, a lack of dedicated foxes in the box has left Chelsea in a void. With new experiments every now and then, the club is failing to make it to the top of the table. Chelsea has placed recent trust in Victor Osimhen, who is one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe. As a matter of fact, Maresca wants to also bring Jhon Duran from Villa as his backup. The Colombian striker is not someone who is world-class or a household name, but he boasts premier league experience. Under Unai Emery, the Colombian has scored eight goals and was useful coming off the bench.
Villa is offloading certain key players, like Douglas Ruiz, to Juventus. With Duran just at the tender age of 20, this could cost Emery in a season where they will be competing at the top level of Europe.
| Jhon Duran’s best league games for Aston Villa last season | Match Rating (via WhoScored) |
|---|---|
| Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool | 8.36 |
| Aston Villa 3-1 Crystal Palace | 7.48 |
| Aston Villa 4-0 Everton | 7.38 |
| Man City 4-1 Aston Villa | 6.90 |
| Aston Villa 3-2 Burnley | 6.80 |
Duran might not be exemplary, but he is a stable and instrumental player for the squad. This is exactly what Chelsea is looking for. The stats have decent reflection to get the attention of top clubs. Depending on factors like player sales, Maresca might end up with two strikers at Stamford Bridge, as mentioned by reporter Simmon Phillips.
Osimhen convinced about moving to English top flight
Chelsea has never been shy about spending huge sums. Be that in Boehly’s or Abramovic’s reign. The market value of Victor Osimhen is a staggering 113 million pounds, and Chelsea are fine with encashing it. A lot of offers from Saudi Arabia are also tempting for the 25-year-old. Although Premier League football is difficult, a top-tier league is always preferred for players of high calibre.
The Nigerian has seen quite a few abysmal days under new managers. Osimhen could be said to be the one pillar who was responsible for delivering the scudetto for Napoli. Since then, the following season has seen him being disrespected by the club. This makes the Nigerian seek new opportunities away from Serie A. Osimhen is convinced that he is suitable for English clouds and cold nights in Stoke. The striker has about 80 goals under his name in 133 appearances, which speaks volumes and validates his hype. The way Osimhen has made a name for himself in Serie A and around the world, he might just be the key and missing piece that Chelsea is looking for.
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