Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues suffer Victor Osimhen setback; club eyeing Vitinha, and more - March 11, 2024
Chelsea welcome Newcastle United to Stamford Bridge on Monday, March 11, in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino cannot afford to drop any more points, with his team 11th in the standings after 26 games.
Meanwhile, the Blues have suffered a blow in their plans to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen. Elsewhere, the London giants are interested in PSG midfielder Vitinha.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on March 11, 2024:
Chelsea suffer Victor Osimhen setback
Chelsea have suffered a setback in their efforts to sign Victor Osimhen this summer.
According to The Daily Mail, financial issues could force the club to abandon their plans to sign the Nigerian. Osimhen has been in red-hot form for Napoli recently and helped them win Serie A last season. He has been impressive this campaign as well, registering 13 goals and four assists in 23 games across competitions.
Pochettino is expected to be in the market for a new No. 9 this summer, with Nicolas Jackson failing to convince. Osimhen has been touted as the Argentinean’s priority target and is expected to cost upwards of €100 million.
However, The Athletic says that the London giants registered an annual loss of £90.1 million last season. As such, Chelsea could refrain from breaking the bank for the 25-year-old to stay within the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Blues eyeing Vitinha
Chelsea are interested in Vitinha, according to HITC. The Portuguese midfielder is a first-team regular for Paris Saint-Germain this season.
He has appeared 34 times across competitions this season for the Parisians, scoring five goals and setting up three. The Blues have had their eyes on the 24-year-old for a while and are considering a move at the end of this season.
The London giants are sweating on the future of Conor Gallagher, who's yet to agree a new deal. The Englishman’s contract in expires in less than 18 months, and speculation is ripe regarding his future.
Chelsea are apparently ready to offload Gallagher and want Vitinha to replace him. The Portuguese's contract with the Ligue 1 champions runs till 2027.
Chelsea under pressure to offload players this summer, says journalist
The Blues will have to offload played this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Premier League giants have invested heavily on the squad since the arrival of co-owner Todd Boehly, but their efforts haven’t been vindicated by results. They have a bloated squad that needs to be trimmed, amid FFP concerns.
Gallagher and Armando Broja are among the players that the club are apparently looking to sell to raise funds. The English midfielder is wanted at Tottenham Hotspur and enters the final year of his contract this summer. Broja, meanwhile, is on loan at Fulham and doesn't have a future at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, though, Jones said that the London giants are unlikely to raise £100 million from the two players this summer.
“I do personally believe that Chelsea are under pressure to sell. But they're going to face a bit of a dilemma because the value of players like Gallagher and Broja is dwindling.
"The only way they can get true value out of Gallagher is to give him a new contract. But they have real problems around committing to that at a salary point that he would deserve as a regular first-teamer,” said Jones.
He continued:
“With Broja, he's barely getting a kick at Fulham on loan. There is no way he's a £50m signing like Chelsea had him tagged as.
"So, if they thought they would get close to £100m for Gallagher and Broja when we get to the summer to fix any financial problems, I think they need a reality check.”
Romelu Lukaku, on a season-long loan deal at AS Roma, is another player the Premier League side could look to offload in the summer.