Chelsea to rival Man Utd in race for Napoli star Victor Osimhen and could break transfer record despite splashing £606m | The Sun

CHELSEA are ready to continue their spending spree with a mega-money summer move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Blues’ new owners believe the Nigeria international could be the final piece in a puzzle having already spent more than £600m.

And they would be prepared to break the British transfer record of £107m they have just set for Enzo Fernandez in order to land Osimhen.

The striker, 24, is set to be one of the most in-demand players in the next transfer window.

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are among the clubs also in the hunt for Osimhen, whose 14 goals in 16 Serie A games have sent Napoli to the top of the table.

The Italian giants don’t want to lose their star man but are confident of generating a high-stakes auction for a player who will have two years left on his contract in the summer.

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Osimhen would fit Chelsea’s new strategy of signing young players on long-term contracts.

The Blues committed a record-breaking £323m in January alone to bring in Fernandez and £88m Mykhailo Mudryk, who are both 22, five other permanent signings in their early 20s, and Joao Felix, 23, on loan.

But Graham Potter’s team is still struggling for goals.

Despite that, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the club’s only senior central striker, was left out of the Champions League squad to make way for new arrivals.

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Chelsea are reported already to have agreed a £63m deal to sign RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku in the summer, although it is yet to be formally confirmed.

But the Blues are prepared to take their spending to almost £200m on strikers alone – and more than £800m in total under the new owners – by moving for Osimhen as well.

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