Chelsea are reportedly considering offering Romelu Lukaku and Cesare Casadei as part of a swap deal to reduce the cost of signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
The Nigeria international, who signed a new contract with Napoli in December 2023 is frustrated by the lack of interest in the transfer market.
Napoli had hoped to sell Osimhen for his €130m release clause, but this price is considered too high by potential suitors such as Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea.
According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are exploring a player-swap deal to lower Osimhen’s overall price.
Chelsea are reportedly discussing various player exchange options with Napoli to bring down the overall cost of the transfer. Romelu Lukaku, who is not part of Chelsea’s plans and is a preferred choice for Napoli’s new coach Antonio Conte, is a key candidate for the swap. Although names like Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah were also mentioned, they did not appeal to Napoli.
Despite the high release clause, Chelsea, through intermediaries, remain interested in the striker’s situation. Other top clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid do not seem particularly interested in Osimhen.
While Chelsea’s interest cooled due to Napoli’s firm stance on the release clause, the club continues to monitor the situation, hoping the price might decrease as the transfer window progresses.
The 25-year-old Nigerian striker is eager for a new challenge and has a gentleman’s agreement with Napoli President De Laurentiis to leave this summer. However, no club is willing to meet the €130m release clause.
Napoli might need to lower their asking price to monetize the transfer, ideally not going below €100m, a figure still deemed high by Chelsea.
Casadei, a 21-year-old Italian midfielder who joined Chelsea from Inter for €14.86m in 2022 and was loaned to Leicester City, could be an enticing option for Conte. With Piotr Zielinski leaving Napoli for Inter as a free agent, Casadei could fill that void.
If Lukaku and Casadei are included in the deal, Chelsea hopes to pay only €60m in cash for Osimhen.
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