Victor Osimhen scores incredible goal for Lille OSC
Chelsea are in danger of missing out on Victor Osimhen with a number of clubs launching bids to sign the Lille striker. The Blues are one of several top teams monitoring the 21-year-old but will have to move quickly if they want to complete a deal.
Chelsea are on the hunt for attacking reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window as Frank Lampard looks for a forward to ease the goalscoring burden on Tammy Abraham.
And Osimhen has been identified as a potential option for the Blues after an impressive debut campaign in Ligue 1 saw him net 18 goals for Lille.
However, those performances have also been noted by a number of other sides around Europe and Lille owner Gerard Lopez has confirmed that transfer bids have already been tabled.
"There are multiple offers," he told the Daily Mail.
Chelsea transfer news: Victor Osimhen has been the subject of several offers already this summer (Image: GETTY)
"We turned down one English and one Spanish offer this January transfer window.
"There is a wide array [this summer] and I wouldn't want to give the names of the clubs who are bidding but what I can tell you is that there are multiple [offers].
"There are three championships that have clubs that have bid for him."
Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal have all been credited with interest in Osimhen, who joined Lille from Sporting Charleroi for just £10million last summer.
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The French club now have the opportunity to turn over a huge profit on their star man, who signed a five-year contract at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.
Lille are unwilling to sell and Lopez suggested that it would take a figure similar to the £72m Arsenal shelled out for Nicolas Pepe in order to trigger a move.
He said: "I am not being a sales guy because last year people didn't believe that we had the offers we had with [Nicolas] Pepe and it turns out we had multiple of them.
"Let me tell you with Osimhen, it is the same thing. Whatever number you heard, the high number I have read is very much on the money of the offers that we have received. That's where we are."
Chelsea transfer news: The Blues see him as a potential solution to their striker problems (Image: GETTY)
Lopez's comments suggest Lille will not be forced into selling, despite the uncertainty surrounding the transfer market because of the coronavirus crisis.
However, Osimhen's agent Ariyo Igbayilola expects his client to move on and has confirmed interest from Napoli, Newcastle and Tottenham last week.
“I can confidently tell you that the only club that wants Victor 100% right now is Napoli,” Igbayilola told Nigerian outlet The Cable.
“But the final decision on whether he wants to join them lies with him. Also, Newcastle are in the race just like Tottenham. But it’s just interest alone. No real sign of commitment from them.
“I think with the pressure from different clubs in Europe, I doubt if he will stay with Lille in the coming season.”