We're almost 12 months into Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's reign at Chelsea Football Club and despite over £600million being spent on incomings at Stamford Bridge, there is still so much more work that needs to be done.
Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be confirmed as Chelsea's new first-team head coach in the very near future, football.london understands. There is nothing to be concerned about when it comes to the slight delay in the club making the appointment official, even if the delay is frustrating to supporters.
Pochettino, who has been without a job in football since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2022, will take over as head coach at the end of the campaign and have the whole of the pre-season to work with his new squad, who are desperate to get some injection of confidence in them.
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However, the upcoming summer transfer window is expected to be a period of turnover once again for the club, although this time we are more likely to see players leaving Stamford Bridge rather than arriving.
There are a number of players in the Chelsea squad who are either entering the final two years of their contract – something that is now viewed as a crucial period by the club's board, who are keen to avoid past mistakes made by their predecessors in allowing hugely talented stars to leave on a free transfer – or are now into the last 12 months of their deal. We could see 10-plus leaving Stamford Bridge over the next few months.
Despite a host of players expected to leave the club before the start of next season, there are also set to be a few new signings made by Chelsea's new-look recruitment team. It's understood the club are seeking a new first-choice goalkeeper, a central midfielder and a striker, as the board look to give Pochettino all of the tools to succeed as they back him to spearhead their ambitious long-term project in west London.
One striker who is being looked at by Chelsea is Napoli's Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian is a target for Chelsea, as revealed earlier in the month by football.london, although there is set to be immense competition for the striker's signature after a mouthwatering season in Italy helping Napoli win their first Serie A title in over 30 years.
"He's been sensationally good," Serie A journalist Siavoush Fallahi said to football.london in an exclusive interview. "He's the top scorer so far and scored goals in big games. I think he's been the MVP of the season so far seeing how much he has given to Napoli.
"Napoli were unlucky he went injured at the national team break just before the [Champions League] quarter-finals against Milan because otherwise things could've gone differently. Remember Napoli won a historical title and Osimhen is one of the most important, if not the most important player for that."
Fallahi added: "I think he has everything to succeed in the Premier League. He has speed, physicality, work ethic. He'd be great for anyone that signed him."
Osimhen is extremely quick; his runs off the ball on the shoulder of the last defender have been a regular fixture this season for Napoli with all of their success. It's something Chelsea don't have a lot of now – particularly from a No.9. To fit into a Pochettino side, though, any player will be required to press off the ball.
Fallahi, however, does not think Osimhen should be told to press as much as his teammates. Instead, the Serie A expert believes Osimhen's energy should be reserved somewhat so it can be exploited in other areas of the game.
"I don't think he should be used much for that [pressing]," he explained. "He's a good presser, because he's a great runner, but seeing how good he is on the run I wouldn't want him to waste all of his energy in defence."
Any deal for Osimhen would not come cheap. The 24-year-old striker is one of European football's hottest properties right now and interest in him has never been higher after a record-breaking campaign for Napoli. The Italian club, also, have proved in the past a difficult club to negotiate with.
Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is a tough negotiator and will always prove a stubborn character to ensure he gets every single penny possible for his players. It looks as if this summer will be the same for Osimhen, although football.london was told earlier in the month that he is categorically not for sale.
"I think it would be very expensive to buy him from Napoli," Fallahi said. "Napoli doesn't need to sell, he has a good contract length and De Laurentiis isn't the president that easily sells his stars. He probably would consider offer starting from €150million [£130m], especially to Premier League sides."
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