Chelsea have made contact with Napoli over a potential swap deal involving strikers Victor Osimhen and Romelu Lukaku, a report has claimed.
Finding a new striker has long been a top priority for Chelsea in the summer transfer window, with Osimhen seen as a leading candidate for the majority of the season. The Nigerian signed a new contract with Napoli earlier this year which contains a release clause worth over £100m with a view to facilitating an exit in the coming months.
Paris Saint-Germain have looked at Osimhen on their quest to replace Kylian Mbappe, but Gianluca Di Marzio claims Chelsea have tried to steal a march in the race for his signature by making contact with Napoli.
Chelsea are looking at ways to avoid having to trigger Osimhen’s release clause, which must be paid up-front in its entirety, and are prepared to offer a handful of players to Napoli in exchange for Osimhen’s services.
The biggest inclusion in any deal would be Lukaku, who is on loan with Roma on a deal which does not include a purchase clause. Chelsea have an agreement with the Belgian that he will be made available for a fee of £37m this summer – a £60.5m loss on the figure they paid Inter in 2021.
The plan from Chelsea is to send Lukaku to Napoli alongside a fee of between £70m and £80m, with the Blues also said to be prepared to include a young player in their offer to bring Osimhen to Stamford Bridge.
Napoli’s interest in Lukaku, who has 12 goals in 30 Serie A appearances for Roma this season, is not yet clear, although incoming sporting director Giovanni Manna is known to be a huge fan of the Belgian.
Manna, who will leave his post at Juventus at the end of the season, is said to have been keen on signing Lukaku last summer in a swap deal that would have sent Dusan Vlahovic to Chelsea.
As for Napoli, club officials are believed to be focused on finding a new manager before holding any formal talks about Osimhen.
