Chelsea suffer new blow after Nkunku injury as transfer target ‘offered £172m contract’ by Saudi side
CHELSEA transfer target Victor Osimhen has been offered a lucrative contract worth £172MILLION by Al-Hilal, according to reports.
The striker has been heavily linked with a move away from Napoli this summer.
AlamyChelsea target Osimhen has been offered a lucrative contract by Al-Hilal[/caption]
GettyThe Blues have suffered a major attacking blow, with Nkunku set to miss four months[/caption]
Several clubs – including Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Chelsea – have expressed an interest in signing him, but Napoli’s £150m asking price has proved to be a stumbling block.
However, Al-Hilal are now willing to go all-out for him.
According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, the Saudi Pro League side have offered him a £172m contract.
The deal is said to be worth around £34.5m-a-year for five years.
And it acts as a huge blow for Chelsea and new boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has been eager to sign another new striker this summer.
The Blues welcomed Christopher Nkunku to Stamford Bridge in June after reaching a £52m agreement with RB Leipzig.
However, the Frenchman suffered a serious meniscus injury last week, meaning he is now expected to be unavailable until Christmas.
In a club statement, Chelsea confirmed: “Nkunku has sustained a knee injury which will rule the forward out for an extended period.
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“The 25-year-old has undergone an operation and will now begin a rehabilitation programme.”
Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool on Sunday.
New signing Nicolas Jackson is expected to lead the line in Nkunku’s absence, having arrived from Villarreal for £32million this summer.
