Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues unlikely to sign Victor Osimhen in January, Conor Gallagher expected to stay, and more - December 24, 2023
Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux on Sunday (December 24) in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino's team have now lost eight of their 18 games in the league this season.
Meanwhile, the Blues are unlikely to complete a move for Victor Osimhen in January. Elsewhere, Conor Gallagher is now expected to stay at Stamford Bridge.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Chelsea transfer news from December 24, 2023.
Chelsea unlikely to sign Victor Osimhen in January, says Fabrizio Romano
Chelsea are unlikely to sign Victor Osimhen in January, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. The Nigerian striker has emerged as a target for the Blues, as per The Telegraph, following his exploits with Napoli. Osimhen has enjoyed a spectacular rise with the Serie A champions in recent seasons, and has registered 67 goals and 17 assists from 119 appearances across competitions to date.
The London giants are on the hunt for a new No. 9 and have reportedly set their sights on the 24-year-old. They are eager to bring him in this January to help boost their chances of finishing in the top four. However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano confirmed that the player is all set to sign a new deal with Napoli.
"The situation is still exactly the same as I said 10 days ago, guys, no changes. Victor Osimhen’s new deal is almost agreed, contract until 2026, and a release clause will be there. Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis only confirmed on Friday what we already knew and mentioned. It will happen guys," Romano wrote..
Mauricio Pochettino could return for the player in the summer, depending on his release clause.
Conor Gallagher expected to stay at Stamford Bridge, as per Journalist
Conor Gallagher will stay at Stamford Bridge beyond January, according to journalist Dean Jones. The English midfielder's contract with Chelsea expires in 2025 and he hasn't agreed to a new deal yet. Fabrizio Romano has recently revealed that the Blues are willing to let the player leave for more than £35m.
However, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones pointed out that offloading Gallagher doesn't make any sense for the club.
"I'm told so yeah. I think there's this narrative around the fact that if Chelsea are going to go and spend more money, then the best way for them to raise funds and to avoid FFP sanctions is to sell lads that comes from the academy. And I totally understand that and it's true. Selling Gallagher just doesn't make much sense when he's so ingrained in what Pochettino has been doing so far this season," said Jones.
Jones went on to state that the player remains keen to stay at Stamford Bridge:
"Gallagher doesn't want to leave, Pochettino doesn't want him to leave and from what I understand the conversations that have happened, while they might not be on the verge of a complete breakthrough when he was signing a new contract, I was told a couple of weeks ago that he probably will be staying."
He continued:
"So I would expect once we get to the new year that one really does kick on. We do need clarity on it pretty soon, but I'd be very surprised if Gallagher ended up leaving."
Gallagher has been an integral part of Mauricio Pochettino's setup, appearing 20 times for the London giants this season, 19 of which have been starts.
Blues backed to target Alphonse Areola in January by Journalist
Journalist Dean Jones has backed Chelsea to make a move for Alphonse Areola in January. The Blues signed Robert Sanchez this summer from Brighton & Hove Albion to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy. However, Sanchez hasn't been convincing so far and is currently sidelined with muscle problems.
A new goalkeeper is now a priority and talkSPORT has stated that Aaron Ramsdale is a target for Mauricio Pochettino. However, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones insisted that Arsenal are unlikely to let him move to Stamford Bridge.
"The signs that I've had are that Arsenal would not loan Ramsdale to a rival, particularly someone like Chelsea and could Chelsea go and buy Aaron Ramsdale? I'm not so sure? There are a few other goalkeeper situations opening up around the Premier League that might become tempting," Jones said.
He continued:
"You look at Areola for example. Suddenly Lukasz Fabianski is back in favour, and I think if Areola was suddenly frustrated about his situation at West Ham, it wouldn't surprise me if someone like Chelsea was to knock on the door..But yeah, there needs to be something happening in that goalkeeper area."
Areola's contract with West Ham United runs until 2027 and he has appeared 17 times across competitions this season for the Hammers.