Chelsea look to have gained a Victor Osimhen transfer advantage following Napoli's 3-0 Serie A defeat to Verona at the weekend. The Blues have already held talks over the potential loan signing of Osimhen, with Romelu Lukaku heading the other way, though the Italian club remain keen on him sealing a permanent exit.
The Nigeria international, despite reporting to pre-season training, was left out of the Napoli squad for a friendly against Girona with that decision repeated in the Coppa Italia victory over Modena. Unsurprisingly, he was also absent from the group that kicked off Napoli's Serie A campaign on Saturday.Like Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain have been strongly linked to the 25-year-old, though they are unwilling to meet his asking price. An injury to Goncalo Ramos may change things slightly though, with PSG perhaps now in need of a new striker, however a marquee sale is needed first and the Portugal international may have been the one sacrificed to sanction that.
And now another injury could impact the future of Osimhen and hand the Blues a significant boost. In Napoli's 3-0 defeat this past weekend, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was deployed as the false nine in the absence of Osimhen, however he was taken off just before half time.
Following a collision with Pawel Dawidowicz, the Georgia international was seen in discomfort and after being treated on the pitch, was eventually withdrawn. Though it is unlikely to be a significant issue, his absence could land Antonio Conte in further difficulty and ramp up their pursuit of Lukaku.
The latest bid was rejected by those at Stamford Bridge with the Belgium international's valuation remaining at £32million (€40m). That stance changing however, could occur if Napoli also soften their Osimhen demands to either sanction a loan move or lower their asking price.
Regardless of that playing out, Chelsea's interest in Osimhen remains with their pursuit expected to continue in the final days of the window. The recent focus has all been centred on sealing a move for Joao Felix with an agreement reached earlier this week that will also allow Conor Gallagher to complete his move to Atletico Madrid.