Chelsea handed major blow in battle with Manchester United for 26-year-old attacker: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly been handed a big blow in their ongoing pursuit of Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen, who has recently emerged as a top transfer target for Manchester United.

Last summer, the Blues were allegedly interested in adding Osimhen to their ranks. However, the Nigerian striker decided to secure a season-long temporary move to Galatasaray in the final days of the summer window.

Now, according to Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Osimhen is keen to secure a transfer to Manchester United after the end of the campaign.

Osimhen, 26, has been in excellent form for Galatasaray in the ongoing 2024-25 season. The former VfL Wolfsburg and LOSC Lille man has scored 20 goals and recorded five assists in 26 total games for the Turkish outfit.

Should the Chelsea transfer target decide to join Ruben Amorim's outfit, he could prove to be a transformational signing for them. He would start over Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in the club's 3-4-2-1 formation.

Manchester United told to sign ex-Chelsea star

Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has lavished praise on Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and has urged Manchester United to sign the ex-Blues man. He wrote in his The Times column (h/t Metro):

"He's a very composed character and you want that from your centre back, and especially your captain. As a leader, he's not the shouty type. He doesn't look to inspire team-mates verbally or by acting out on the pitch, but rather by the way he plays, leading by example and setting a precedent for others to follow. Guehi reminds me a bit of Roy Keane in that respect."

Revealing why the Red Devils should rope in Guehi, Cascarino continued:

"Given that Guehi is well suited to playing in a back three, the next club he chooses will be very important for his career. Not that he can't play in a back four, but the safety a three provides plays to his strengths and protects him a bit. If Manchester United and INEOS are serious about the direction they are going in under Ruben Amorim, Guehi is someone they should be looking at."

Guehi, 24, was reportedly subject to multiple bids from Newcastle United last summer. But, he opted to remain at the Oliver Glasner-coached outfit after a great UEFA Euro 2024 campaign for his national side England.

So far this season, the Chelsea academy product has started all 31 of his appearances in all competitions for the Eagles. He has helped his club register 11 clean sheets and has bagged three goals along the way.