Chelsea’s summer looks to have been a successful one so far with endeavours in both the transfer market and at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Blues have acquired top targets in Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap amongst others, totalling a £140m spend. Add in deals agreed beforehand for Estevao Willian, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr and the amount spent and excitement grows even more.
Meanwhile, with Tuesday night’s semi-final clash with Brazilians Fluminense, prize money from the tournament in the United States will be close to the £100m mark.
This will have a positive impact on Chelsea’s financial capabilities, moving towards a season where they will look to close the gap on the Premier League’s leaders whilst rejoining the Champions League proper.
A great deal of attention is going to be on whether Enzo Maresca manages to add any more fresh faces to his ranks before the season comes around next month.
So with that, football.london analyses the latest transfer headlines circulating Stamford Bridge.
Victor Osimhen decision
According to TBR Football’s Graeme Bailey, the Victor Osimhen saga may not carry on much longer.
Chelsea’s long-standing interest in the 26-year-old has seen them tied to a situation taking place on the opposite side of Europe, all whilst Maresca has kitted out his attack force with Delap and Pedro.
But the opportunity may escape them with the striker supposedly ready to re-join Galatasaray, the club he spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with, on a permanent basis.
“There has been some interest in England in Osimhen and talks have taken place, but Galatasaray are making their push and Napoli want this done now,” Bailey explained.
“Osimhen has waited for as long as he can, but he now wants his future resolved, and that looks to be in Istanbul. He had a fantastic campaign with Galatasaray and is ready to commit.”
football.london says: We’re approaching the point where clubs who have not been to the Club World Cup are beginning pre-season training, so it is understandable if Osimhen wants to get settled. Whilst nothing can truly be ruled out when it comes to Chelsea, if Osimhen was to have joined the club then surely it would have happened already this summer or even in previous transfer windows. It just comes down to weighing cost against his talent. There seems to still be time though, with various reports from Italy suggesting Galatasaray’s latest offer is €60m (£51m).
Christopher Nkunku update
Despite making his fifth appearance for the Blues at the Club World Cup by starting Tuesday’s semi-final vs Fluminense, Christopher Nkunku’s time at Stamford Bridge might be up. There will be plenty of time to organise his sale between the tournament finishing and September’s transfer deadline.
With that, The Athletic claim German champions Bayern Munich have waded back in with interest.
Bayern have lost out trying to sign different targets higher up their list already this summer so have supposedly circled back around to Nkunku, to whom they have been linked with both one year ago and back in January.
Chelsea will reportedly push for his permanent sale.
football.london says: Nkunku’s situation is strange as he still finds his way into the team despite the impression there are others ahead of him in the pecking order. It’s worth pointing out that he was playing as a left-sided attacker vs Fluminense, so will have Jamie Gittens to compete with when he is eligible to play and Pedro could also be used there once Nicolas Jackson and Delap are back from their suspensions. The Frenchman just hasn’t lived up to expectations since joining from RB Leipzig in 2023, so maybe a move back to the country where he played the best football of his club career would do him good and benefit the clubs involved.
