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Chelsea climbed up to seventh in the Premier League table following their thumping 5-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday at Stamford Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino will hope to continue the good form when they visit the City Ground on Saturday, May 11, to face Nottingham Forest in the league.
Meanwhile, the Blues have established contact to secure the services of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer. Elsewhere, the London giants are planning to reinforce their backline come summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on May 6, 2024:
Chelsea initiate Victor Osimhen contact
Chelsea have been in touch with Napoli regarding a move for Victor Osimhen this summer, according to reputed journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
The Nigerian striker is among the finest strikers on the planet at the moment and has registered 16 goals and four assists in 29 outings across competitions this season. Despite signing a new contract with the Serie A giants in December, Osimhen's future remains up in the air.
Paris Saint-Germain are keen to secure his services as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who looks set to join Real Madrid this summer. However, the Blues are also looking for a new No. 9 and have their eyes on the 25-year-old.
The London giants are planning a €80-90 million offer, which will also include Romelu Lukaku and a young player, to convince Napoli.
Blues eyeing defensive reinforcements
Chelsea are planing to add more steel to their backline at the end of this season, according to acclaimed transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
The Blues are set to part ways with Thiago Silva this summer, with the Brazilian defender apparently heading back to his former club Fluminense as a free agent. Silva's departure will leave a void at the back, which the club are hoping to fill before the start of the new campaign.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano added that the Blues are yet to zero in on potential candidates for the job.
"Thiago Silva has made a decision on his future and has decided to return to Fluminense. It’s big news guys. As a result, Chelsea are looking for a new centre-back and will bring in one for sure," wrote Romano.
He continued:
"I don’t like to put random names, so as soon as I’ll be aware of the player they want to sign, I’ll share the name. At the moment, it’s still too early to mention that as Chelsea have not decided anything.”
Silva has appeared over 150 times across competitions since arriving at Stamford Bridge as a free agent in 2020.
Chelsea will consider Mauricio Pochettino's future this summer, says David Ornstein
Chelsea will make a final decision regarding Mauricio Pochettino's future at the end of this season, according to transfer expert David Ornstein.
The Argentinean manager has failed to impress since taking charge of the first team last summer. The Blues are set the end the season without a trophy, and multiple candidates are already being touted as the Pochettino's replacement.
However, speaking to NBC Sports, Ornstein said that none of the names circulating in the media will be taking charge at Stamford Bridge if the Argentinean is sacked.
“Chelsea have a situation of their own with Mauricio Pochettino who is in position for now, and he is coming up to a year of a two-year contract with an option to extend.
"That situation will be reviewed in the summer. Chelsea are demanding that they qualify for Europe - but through the Europa League, not the Europa Conference League," said Ornstein.
He continued:
“When you see names like [Antonio] Conte, [Jose] Mourinho, Hansi Flick and Ruben Amorim linked with the Chelsea position, I’m assured they will not be taking over at Chelsea if there is a vacancy - but there isn’t yet."
Pochetttino's team still have an outside chance of qualifying for the Europa league if they finish the season strong.
