Drogba gives Chelsea fresh hopes of signing Osimhen

Drogba gives Chelsea fresh hopes of signing Osimhen

Chelsea still have some hope of signing Victor Osimhen despite failing to acquire his services in the summer transfer window. The Blues pushed to sign him on deadline day but were unable to agree a deal with Napoli after Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli, who were strongly interested, opted to sign Ivan Toney instead.

Instead, Chelsea spent the final hours of the summer trading period working on a deal to sign Jadon Sancho on loan from Manchester United. As for Osimhen, despite not being part of Antonio Conte's plans, he looked set to remain in Italy until an unlikely transfer solution emerged.

Though the majority of transfer windows ended on August 30, clubs in Turkiye were still able to trade for a few more weeks with Galatasaray declaring an interest in Osimhen as a result. With his options dwindling, the 25-year-old accepted the move with Napoli also agreeing to pay a portion of his salary for a season-long loan to be sanctioned.

Considering he was facing the prospect of not playing competitive football for several months, the move - while not ideal - allows him to stay match-fit and still play in Europe. It is also a club that Osimhen's icon Didier Drogba played for, allowing the striker to follow in his footsteps, though Drogba's stint there came when he was nine years older than Osimhen.

With that as a reason behind his final green light for the move, it certainly suggests he would still be very open to joining the Blues down the line given Drogba's legendary status at Stamford Bridge. Following his temporary switch to Galatasaray, Osimhen's release clause decreased to £63.2million (€75m).

There is also an option for Napoli to extend his contract until 2027 if he does not secure a permanent exit from the club next summer.