Due to Chelsea’s murky financial situation, Premier League leaders Arsenal have reportedly emerged as the frontrunners in the race for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

Chelsea Appeared To Be Frontrunners In Victor Osimhen Saga

London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea have both been keeping tabs on Nigerian sharpshooter Osimhen. The sought-after attacker reportedly wants to leave Napoli at the end of the 2023-24 season and join a Premier League club.

However, considering there are still two years remaining on his contract, Napoli will not let him leave if they do not receive a club-record offer for his services. According to reports, any prospective suitor must be prepared to trigger Osimhen’s mammoth €130 million ($141.51 million) to prize him away from Italy.

This means, only heavy hitters could dare to throw their hat in the ring for Osimhen, and being one of the top-spending clubs in Europe, Todd Boehly-owned Chelsea emerged as a highly-probable destination for the 25-year-old. The Pensioners also received a nod of approval from a report from Metro, with its sources claiming that Osimhen wanted to follow in the footsteps of one of his idols Didier Drogba, and wear the famous blue shirt.

Arsenal Pull Ahead In Victor Osimhen Race

However, due to the record-breaking spending spree Chelsea went on under Boehly, they do not have the means to sign Osimhen anymore. According to TeamTalk, the west London club cannot afford to meet the Nigeria international’s wage demands, making the transfer highly unlikely. Osimhen reportedly wants his next contract to be around £200,000 ($254,876) per week, which the Blues cannot afford at the moment.

With Chelsea effectively out of the running, Arsenal have pulled ahead in the race for the striker’s services. Mikel Arteta’s side are in a financially stable state and want to sign a prolific center-forward next summer. If they cannot sign Osimhen from Napoli, they could turn their attention to another long-time target, Brentford’s Ivan Toney.

In addition to Chelsea and Arsenal, Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are also believed to be in the running for Osimhen. With Kylian Mbappe leaving the club in the summer, the Parisians are certain to have the financial muscle to pull off the transfer. However, Osimhen’s desire to play in the Premier League could still tip the scales in Arsenal’s favor.