Still searching for a solution for their goalscoring problem, Chelsea have reportedly turned their focus away from Victor Osimhen amid his eye-watering wage demands and towards a Premier League striker.
Chelsea transfer news
The Blues have once again been one of the busiest clubs in the summer transfer window, welcoming as many as 10 fresh faces. Yet, still, they remain without a clinical out-and-out goalscorer to lead the line for Enzo Maresca. Reports have linked those at Stamford Bridge to the likes of Jhon Duran and Samu Omorodion, who was seemingly close to a move before it suddenly collapsed, but remain without a rival to Nicolas Jackson.
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It's still a situation to keep an eye on, however, especially after Napoli reached an agreement to sign Romelu Lukaku on a permanent basis at long last according to Fabrizio Romano to open the door for Osimhen to complete his departure.
That door may not be open for a move to Stamford Bridge, however, despite Lukaku's pending departure. According to The Sun, Osimhen's staggering £500,000-a-week wage demands have forced the Blues to look elsewhere amid reluctance to make the forward their highest-paid player by almost £200,000-a-week.
Searching for cheaper alternatives, those in London are reportedly looking closer to home. According to The Sun, Chelsea are now eyeing a move to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin following Osimhen's demands late on in the the summer transfer window.
The Everton forward knows all about finding the back of the net at his best, but question marks over his injury history would undoubtedly come to the fore if he sealed a move to Chelsea this week.
"Excellent" Calvert-Lewin may not solve Chelsea's problems
If Chelsea were chasing Calvert-Lewin's signature fresh from the 2020/21 campaign, in which he scored 21 goals in all competitions, then they'd be receiving deserved applause for their transfer strategy. The truth is though, Calvert-Lewin is not that same, clinical striker three seasons later amid injury struggles and poor form, with just seven Premier League goals last time out.
Given their history of underperforming strikers – from Fernando Torres all the way to Alvaro Morata and Lukaku – Chelsea cannot afford to get things wrong once again; they're in no position to take a risk on Calvert-Lewin.
What's more, Everton boss Sean Dyche won't be keen to let the England international leave, even if he is yet to replicate his form of three seasons ago. Dyche was full of praise for Calvert-Lewin after he scored in a shock Merseyside derby victory over Liverpool in the last campaign, telling BBC Sport: "I thought he was excellent. His physical performance was outstanding."
"This season has not been too bad on the injury front. But it shows it does take time mentally and physically to clear your mind of that and start to play freely again."