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Chelsea welcome Preston North End to Stamford Bridge on Saturday (January 6) for their upcoming FA Cup opener. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be determined to start the campaign with a bang.
Meanwhile, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is willing to join the Blues this summer. Elsewhere, midfielder Conor Gallagher has no desire to part ways with the London giants.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on January 6, 2024:
Victor Osimhen ready to join Chelsea
Victor Osimhen is ready to join Chelsea this summer, according to TEAMTALK. The Nigerian striker is hot property in European football at the moment, thanks to his spectacular rise with Napoli.
Osimhen helped the team win Serie A last campaign and remains a vital component of the starting XI. He recently signed a new contract with the Italian side, but that hasn’t deterred his suitors, including the Blues.
The London giants are long-term admirers of the 25-year-old and are hoping to install him as their focal point of their attack next season. Pochettino is looking for a proper replacement for the on-loan Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian striker left Stamford Bridge last summer to join AS Roma and is no longer part of Pochettino’s plans. Nicolas Jackson, signed from Villarreal in the summer, hasn’t been entirely convincing.
Osimhen has emerged as an option, but Chelsea will have to trigger his £112 million release clause. However, it's an amount the Blues are willing to pay. They have already sought the assistance of club legends Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel to help convince the player.
The London giants want to strike a deal this month ahead of a possible move at the end of the season.
Conor Gallagher wants to stay
Conor Gallagher is keen to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge, according to The Mirror.
The Englishman’s future at Chelsea has been the talk of town recently, with his contract expiring in 2025. Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen to sign him this month, with the Blues also willing to consider his departure to adhere to FFP norms.
However, the 23-year-old has no desire to leave Stamford Bridge just yet. Gallagher has been a first-team regular under Pochettino this season, racking up 23 appearances across competitions.
He has started all but one of them, justifying his importance to Pochettino’s plans. The Argentinean has hinted that he wants Gallagher to stay, and it now appears that the player also wants to continue his association with the London giants.
Blues backed to explore loan market in January
Journalist Dharmesh Sheth reckons Chelsea could opt for temporary moves in the ongoing January transfer window.
The Blues are expected to continue their spending spree in the transfer market this month, having already invested a fortune in the squad last year. Pochettino is yet to get his team firing on all cylinders, so reinforcements could be in order.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sheth said that the Argentinean could look to add some experienced heads to his squad this winter.
“I know many people won't have much sympathy with Chelsea and the amount of money that they've spent, given it's been a billion pounds or close to that figure in the last year or so. But Mauricio Pochettino has said ‘look, we still need players’,” said Sheth.
He continued:
“And, you know, I wonder whether Chelsea are thinking about the policy that they had of bringing in all these young players on long-term contracts, which longer term if they all work out is a good thing, but maybe, bringing a little bit more experience into the squad as well. That might be something they'll look at during the January transfer window.”
He concluded:
“Who knows, it could be something that they look at in the loan market as well so that they can keep some money around them for the summer.”
The London giants might also have to offload players this month to help adhere to FFP norms.
