Chelsea add 3 new strikers to transfer wish list after Osimhen and Toney deemed ‘unattainable’ in January window: Reports
Chelsea have added three young strikers to their list of targets for the January transfer window in case they fail with their primary targets. The Blues are prepared to move for other targets as a contingency plan if they do not sign Victor Osimhen or Ivan Toney in January.
The Blues have long identified their striker position to be problematic, having decided against spending heavily on the position in the summer. They are now prepared to rethink their stance and are interested in either Osimhen or Toney, both of whom would pose a significant problem to sign.
The Blues have now added three names to their list of targets for this winter. two of them from the German Bundesliga. They will look to pursue Benjamin Sesko, Victor Boniface and Santiago Gimenez.
Sesko, 20, is an RB Leipzig starlet who joined the club in the summer from sister club Salzburg after a pre-contract agreement. The Slovenian striker has scored six times in 15 appearances for the German side this season despite not getting much game time.
One of the biggest surprises this season has been Boniface, who joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. The 22-year-old striker has rocked the Bundesliga and has already scored 11 goals and six assists in 17 appearances for Xabi Alonso's side.
Feyenoord striker Gimenez, 22, is another on Chelsea's radar for his impressive year with the Dutch club. This season, the Mexican striker has scored 18 goals in 15 appearances for Feyenoord across all competitions.
All three strikers being looked at by Chelsea are also targets of Real Madrid.
Chelsea considering Toney and Osimhen alternatives
After deciding against moving for a new striker, Chelsea seem to be prepared to sign a new one in January. Their problem is that their main targets may be impossible to sign due to different factors.
Victor Osimhen is one of the finest strikers in the world at present, but his injury record is hardly encouraging. The Napoli man is also expected to cost a significant amount to sign, expected to be over £100 million.
Another factor with Osimhen is that, like Nicolas Jackson, he will be at the AFCON in January and be unavailable for the club.
In the case of Ivan Toney, there are also several factors to consider, including the expected cost of his transfer. His fitness status and ability to hit the ground running are also to be considered by the club and may be enough to put them off.