Chelsea are set to miss out on Victor Osimhen with the striker closing in on a £67.3m (€80m) move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli from Napoli.
Chelsea had been tracking the Nigeria international all summer and were prepared to bring the 25-year-old on loan with an obligation to buy.
But Al Ahli had also been long-term admirers of Osimhen and moved ahead of Chelsea as they agreed a four-year contract worth around £33.6m (€40m) a season – or £646,154 per-week – tax-free. The deal also includes a release clause.
The ex-Lille striker will undergo an Al Ahli medical on Friday and will be joining the club Napoli wanted him to go to the most.
The Saudi Pro League window closes on Monday, with Napoli already replacing Osimhen with Romelu Lukaku, who joined from Chelsea on Thursday.
Before agreeing to the Saudi move, Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda insisted “he still has so much to do in Europe” – a statement which appeared to give Chelsea every chance to come up with an acceptable offer.
But the west London club have fallen way short of what Osimhen would want, with Chelsea needing him to fit into their new wage structure.
With Chelsea missing out on Osimhen, Enzo Maresca’s side could turn their attentions to Brentford striker Ivan Toney on Deadline Day as they search for a proven goalscorer to be their new No 9.
Chelsea made a move for Toney earlier this week because of his scoring record, his Premier League experience, his relatively low wages and the fact he has only one year left on his contract.
But any deal for the 28-year-old will only happen if the transfer fee and wages are at a reasonable level.
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