Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues offer £110m for Victor Osimhen, club eyeing Chris Fuhrich, and more - May 11, 2024
Chelsea travel to the City Ground on Saturday, May 11, to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino's side find themselves in seventh place on the league table after 35 games.
Meanwhile, the Blues are willing to trigger Victor Osimhen's release clause this summer. Elsewhere, the London giants have set their sights on Chris Fuhrich.
On that note, let's look at the major Chelsea transfer news from May 11, 2024.
Chelsea offer £110m for Victor Osimhen
Chelsea are willing to break the bank for Victor Osimhen this summer, according to TBR Football. The Nigerian forward signed a new contract with Napoli last December, but his future remains up in the air. The Blues have been long-term admirers of the 25-year-old and are plotting to take him to Stamford Bridge this year. Osimhen reportedly has a £110m release clause in his contract which the London giants are ready to exercise.
Chelsea have struggled due to the absence of a proven striker in their ranks this season. Nicolas Jackson hasn't lived up to the billing yet, while Romelu Lukaku is on loan to AS Roma and is expected to leave this summer. The Blues want to address this situation by roping in Osimhen, but would prefer to pay his release clause in installments. They could be open to including add-ons to their offer to convince the Serie A giants to part ways with their prized asset.
Blues eyeing Chris Fuhrich
Chelsea are interested in Chris Fuhrich, according to Kicker. The German winger has caught the eye with VfB Stuttgart this season, registering nine goals and seven assists from 37 outings across competitions. His efforts have apparently forced the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to take note. The Blues are eager to improve a faltering forward line over the summer.
The likes of Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Mykhaylo Mudryk have failed to impress so far and Mauricio Pochettino is planning for improvements. Fuhrich has popped up on his radar, but the London giants will face competition from Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund. It is also unclear if the 26-year-old would be ready to leave Germany at the end of the season.
Mauricio Pochettino sends strong message to club owners
Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that he will also have a say in his future at Stamford Bridge. The Argentinean manager is under pressure at Chelsea after a topsy-turvy season so far. While his team have looked better in recent games, Pochettino's position isn't safe yet, with Todd Boehly already sacking two managers due to poor results since taking over the club in 2022.
Speaking to the press, Pochettino insisted that it is important to keep striving for improvement despite the uncertainties.
“Look, it’s not important. The most important thing is to keep going, working if we are all happy, not only the owners happy with us, or us, with all the organisation the club is building here because of them we are all under assessment,” said Pochettino.
He continued:
“If we are happy, perfect. But it is not only if the owners are happy or the sporting directors happy. If we are happy, you need to ask us, also, because maybe we are not happy and we accept the situation and we need to split. It is not going to be the first time the coaching staff at the end of the season decide to not keep going."
The Argentinean went on to stress that there are two sides to the situation, pointing out that it is harsh to ignore what the coach wants.
“But at this end, it is always the opposite way, it is always the owners or the sporting directors. They can say tomorrow, maybe I can say ‘I want to leave’. It is two parties to make a decision," said Pochettino.
He concluded:
“Because Chelsea is not happy, the owners or the sporting directors. Maybe we are not happy because we arrive here with a job to do and in the end it has not happened what we expect. I am not saying I am not happy but it is always one side and maybe [we need to look at the] other side.”
Pochettino has won 23 of his 48 games in charge of the Blues.