Chelsea manager Graham Potter eyes Victor Osimhen as long-term replacement for Aubameyang

NEW Chelsea manager Graham Potter is said to be planning an audacious bid for Nigeria's Victor Osimhen during the forthcoming summer transfer window as he looks for a long term replacement for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

During the last January transfer window, Aubameyang, the former Arsenal skipper,  joined Chelsea from Barcelona, signing a two year contract worth €12m (£10.3m). However, at the age of 33, Aubameyang is considered a short-term stop gap and Potter who has managed to turn Chelsea's fortunes around lately, is looking to build for the future.

Osimhen, 23, is on the lips of European scouts as the ideal man to lead Chelsea’s attack next season, with Mr Potter said to prefer him to Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, currently on loan at Inter Milan. Since taking over last month, Mr  Potter has breathed a new lease of life into Chelsea, achieving two straight victories against AC Milan, sandwiched between a Premier League form that is one of the best in the division.

Napoli's Osimhen has been in scintillating form since returning from injury, scoring two goals in as many games and there may be a sense of reduced invincibility to his status at the moment. Widely reported to be valued at  €100m by Aurelio de Laurentiis, Napoli may cash out on their most-prized asset if a decent offer comes in.

Chelsea have a history of Nigerian representation, with Mikel Obi spending 11 years at Stamford Bridge, while Victor Moses, Ola Aina and Celestine Babayaro have all played for the club in the past. Roberto Calenda, the agent who represents Osimhen, recently revealed that the Super Eagle is attracting interest from many clubs but he wants to stay at Napoli and help them in their chase Serie A and Champions League glory.

Osimhen, was heavily linked with Manchester United and Arsenal during the summer transfer window but a deal did not happen. He has approximately three years left on his contract with Napoli, whom he joined from French side Lille in 2020 for a club record fee of  €70m.