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Chelsea legend can help Mauricio Pochettino get £112m transfer over the line
Chelsea may need all the help they can get ahead of a competitive summer transfer battle.
Chelsea could be wise to enlist the help of Didier Drogba in their push to sign Victor Osimhen this summer. The Napoli striker's idolisation of the Blues legend is already an open secret, and it may make the difference with Arsenal, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain also said to be keen on pursuing a high-profile move.
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has already admitted to pitching his fellow Nigerian a move to Stamford Bridge. "I'm still trying to get him to Chelsea!" he said at Web Summit Qatar last month.
"I think there is genuine interest between both. I think he loves the club, he wants to come to the club. I’m still pushing, sending him messages, trying to make sure he doesn’t expect too much, narrow your mind on one club: the Blues."
The new Napoli contract signed by Osimhen in December reportedly contains a £112million release clause, which is widely expected to be triggered by a top European side at the end of the season.
PSG are understood to be eyeing up the 25-year-old with a view to replacing Kylian Mbappe. But Chelsea, United and Arsenal may have the edge over their French rival due to Osimhen's well-known desire to play in the Premier League.
Part of that stems from his admiration for Drogba. The Ivory Coast legend racked up more than 160 goals across two spells at Stamford Bridge, and Osimhen watched on in amazement during his childhood.
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Chelsea reaching out to Drogba and asking him to try and sway the Nigerian, as Mikel is doing, could tip the balance in their favour. "I have always supported Drogba and I have huge love and admiration for him," Osimhen told The Daily Mail last year.
"I remember when he scored the equalizer in the 2012 Champions League Final, an amazing header, and the way I celebrated was as though I had scored the goal. My friends knew I was obsessed with Drogba.
"When I scored 10 goals and won the Golden Boot at the Under-17 World Cup in 2015, one of the Nigeria staff showed me a tweet from Drogba. It said 'Congratulations Victor. I wish you all the best for the future.'
"I was shocked. I never believed someone like Didier Drogba would tweet those words to a young aspiring striker. It gave me a whole new motivation to succeed."