Napoli ‘offer Chelsea Victor Osimhen as part of swap deal for Romelu Lukaku’ – as two surprise Blues legends join the battle to convince Serie A star to join

Napoli have reportedly offered Victor Osimhen to Chelsea as part of a swap deal for Romelu Lukaku.

However, Chelsea are not happy with the amount of money the Serie A club have offered for Lukaku, who has two years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge.

Napoli are said to have offered £25.6m for Lukaku, but Chelsea are more likely to ask for £40m.

Lukaku has spent the last two seasons on loan at Internazionale and Roma, scoring 35 goals, and is keen to reunite with Antonio Conte in Naples.

And Napoli’s sporting director Giovanni Manna is in talks in London to try to get a deal done, The Times reports.

Napoli reportedly offer Victor Osimhen to Chelsea in swap deal for Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku is keen to be reunited with Antonio Conte, but Chelsea also want around £40m for him

Osimhen has enjoyed success in Serie A for many years, scoring 31 goals in all competitions in the 2022-23 season, helping Napoli to the title.

Despite a quieter season in 2023-24, he is still a sought-after player and is highly admired by Paris Saint-Germain and clubs from Saudi Arabia.

Osimhen is so sought after that two Chelsea icons are approaching him with convincing intentions: John Obi Mikel and Didider Drogba.

“I hope Chelsea fans finally see him come to the club. I will make sure I send him those texts and calls so Chelsea is his top priority,” Mikel said.

“But it seems like he loves the club and wants to come to Chelsea. I’m sure all the big clubs want to sign him. I think it would be fantastic for the club if we could get his signature.

‘Didier also speaks to him, shares his own ideas and what the club means to us. We all want Victor to come to the club. If it happens, it happens. It’s a huge transfer fee, but if we can match that and bring him to the club, that would be absolutely fantastic.’

Mikel was in Nigeria’s squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Osimhen, but it is unclear whether Drogba and the striker have a previous connection.

Lukaku, 31, still earns around £325,000-a-week at Chelsea.

John Obi Mikel has revealed that he and Didier Drogba are in talks with Osimhen over a move

According to Capology, this makes him the player who earns the most money, together with Raheem Sterling, despite the fact that he last played for the club in May 2022.

Lukaku won the Serie A title with Inter in 2020-21, when he joined the San Siro giants on a permanent basis, and also reached the Champions League final with them on loan in 2022-23.