Former Chelsea icon Marcel Desailly has urged the club to make one more push to acquire Victor Osimhen ahead of the transfer window deadline.
The 27-year-old forward came close to joining the Blues from Napoli two years ago, but the deal fell through at the last moment. Subsequently, the Nigerian moved to Galatasaray, where he has spent the last two seasons.
Arsenal has also recently shown interest in the forward.
Meanwhile, Chelsea has significantly revamped its attacking line-up. Joao Pedro made a dazzling debut in the recent victory over Fulham (3-2), while Danny Welbeck has added some much-needed versatility.
However, the team bid farewell to Nicolas Jackson, who joined Aston Villa for £65 million. Liam Delap has departed for Nottingham Forest, and Marc Guehi is in discussions with RB Leipzig.
“Osimhen, without a doubt. He brings spirit and respect, a strong respect from both opponents and teammates,” Desailly remarked in an interview with Metro via SportsCasting.
The former defender believes that the Nigerian's physical prowess and character would provide Chelsea with a valuable edge.
“Sometimes he can be a bit unpredictable, but you need such a player who can justify his status and behaviour through his performance, coupled with a touch of controversy. He is strong and can bring that spirit to Chelsea,” Desailly added.
Desailly also commented on Jackson's exit, admitting he would prefer to see a classic centre-forward in his place.
“As for Jackson, now he has moved to Aston Villa. Honestly, I would like to bring in a striker in the style of a true number nine. The problem is there aren’t that many strikers available who could help Chelsea in the long term,” the former player concluded.
