Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues willing to wait for Victor Osimhen, Conor Gallagher confident of new deal, and more - November 15, 2023
Chelsea are tenth in the Premier League after 12 games, 12 points behind leaders Manchester City. Mauricio Pochettino's team have won four and lost four in the league this season.
Meanwhile, the Blues are willing to wait for Victor Osimhen to become available next summer. Elsewhere, Conor Gallagher is confident of signing a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Chelsea transfer news from November 15, 2023.
Chelsea willing to wait for Victor Osimhen
Chelsea are willing to wait until the summer for Victor Osimhen, according to journalist Ben Jacobs. The Blues would like to sign a new No. 9 in January and have been linked with Brentford striker Ivan Toney of late. The English striker is expected to leave the Bees this winter.
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Jacobs stated that the London giants are not fully convinced by Toney.
"Chelsea will be looking for an elite striker in 2024. They are prepared to wait until summer if they need to rather than move in January. There are a lot of links with Ivan Toney, but the price Brentford would require in January makes that quite difficult. It could be as high as £80m. And not everyone in Chelsea’s senior leadership or recruitment team feels Toney is the right choice, especially mid-season when he’s gone so long without playing," wrote Jacobs.
Osimhen is a long-term target for the London giants and remains unsettled at Napoli following a social media controversy. Jacobs added that the Nigerian could be available for €120m next summer.
“Osimhen is undoubtedly an option, and he’ll be (a least a bit) cheaper next summer compared to last. This could also present a scenario where, as with Christopher Nkunku, Chelsea try to pre-sign Osimhen in January for the summer in order to jump ahead of the market," wrote Jacobs.
He continued:
“But right now nothing is advanced because all interested clubs are simply trying to understand what Aurelio De Laurentiis will sell for since last summer he simply wouldn’t engage for anything under €150m. Now he may accept €120m.”
Osimhen's contract with the Serie A chanpions expires in 2025 and he hasn't agreed to an extension yet.
Conor Gallagher confident of new deal
Conor Gallagher is confident of signing a new deal with Chelsea. The English midfielder rose through the ranks at the club, but was heavily linked with an exit this summer.
However, he opted to stay put at Stamford Bridge and that decision has been vindicated. The 23-year-old has been a first team regular under Mauricio Pochettino, registering four assists from 15 games across competitions.
Gallagher's contract with the Blues is set to expire in 2025 and there has been no talk of a new deal yet. However, speaking recently as cited by The Metro, the Englishman appeared relaxed about the situation.
"I’m sure that will get sorted out, everyone knows Chelsea is my club and I love playing for them. The fans are brilliant and I’m loving right now and I’m sure it will get itself sorted out. It was a crazy period in terms of ins and outs at Chelsea in the summer. I had conversations with the manager and he expressed that he liked me as a player and I was in his plans and I was really happy with that," said Gallagher.
Gallagher is likely to be targeted by clubs across the continent if his contract situation isn't resolved soon.
Mauricio Pochettino ready to let Trevoh Chalobah join Tottenham Hotspur
Mauricio Pochettino is willing to let Trevoh Chalobah join Tottenham Hotspur in the winter, according to Football Insider. The English defender is not part Chelsea's plans and was close to an exit this summer.
Even though a move failed to materialize, the 24-year-old is unlikely to end the season at Stamford Bridge. Bayern Munich wanted the player in the summer and remain hot on his heels. Nottingham Forest also failed in an attempt to prise him away.
Spurs have now joined the fray as they search for a replacement for the injured Micky van de Ven. The Dutchman only arrived at the club this summer, but is now out until the start of next year with a hamstring injury. A move could be beneficial for all parties involved, as his departure will help the Blues in their quest to adhere to FFP norms.