Chelsea will support their new manager Enzo Maresca in the upcoming summer transfer window and their first port of call will be signing a Serie A superstar
Enzo Maresca is expected to join Chelsea on a five-year deal(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chelsea will support their new manager Enzo Maresca in the upcoming summer transfer window, with Victor Osimhen thought to be the first arrival through the door.
The Blues are set to announce the appointment of the Italian coach, who will join from Leicester City on a five-year contract, along with five of his backroom staff.
Maresca, who previously worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and won the Championship last season with the Foxes, is expected by Chelsea’s hierarchy to replicate the success Mikel Arteta has had with Arsenal in recent years, with a long-term plan envisaged.
TeamTalk reports Maresca has already pinpointed areas for improvement in Chelsea's squad, with Napoli striker Osimhen being a priority.
The London club has been linked with the forward for years, but they will face to contend with the £102 million release clause in his contract.
There will be the obstacle of navigating the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, and so the club will need to sell several players, mostly club-trained players, to fund the move.
Chelsea may need to sell some of their club-trained players (Image credit: Getty Images)
There are some within Chelsea who prefer RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, but interest in Osimhen remains strong, so much so that the report states that the Blues are expected to make Osimhen their first signing under Maresca.
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Furthermore, the Nigerian striker is thought to be eager to join a Premier League club and is 'waiting' for an offer from Chelsea, having been persuaded by Blues legends Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel.
Osimhen, who played a crucial role in Napoli's Serie A title win in 2022/23 by scoring 26 league goals and added 15 goals in an injury-hit 2023/24, did not replicate the same proficiency last term but his talent is still not lost.
Benjamin Sesko is another player linked to Chelsea (Image credit: Getty Images)
Though Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have also shown interest in Osimhen, Chelsea are currently the frontrunners for his signature.
Osimhen has netted 76 goals from 133 appearances for Napoli during his career.
Jacque Talbot is a freelance football journalist who predominantly specialises in transfer stories and exclusives. He began his career in 2016 covering the world-renowned Sandbach United, of North West Counties fame, before earning a spot on the sports desks of national papers, where he bounced between several outlets such as Sportbible, the Express, Mirror, and Daily Star. An NCTJ graduate of the News Associates who swapped investigative journalism in the Costa del Sol for football reporting in Northern England, he first wrote for FourFourTwo in December 2023.
