Chelsea open ‘intensive talks’ with £112m superstar striker as Liverpool pair targeted for Saudi swoop

Welcome to your Friday round-up of all the biggest transfer rumours which have cropped up in the media over the last 24 hours – and we start today with news that will stir the hearts of any Chelsea fans reading.

Caught Offside claim that Chelsea are now in “intensive transfer talks” with Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen’s entourage as they look to agree personal terms ahead of a move which would likely cost them the entirety of the Nigerian striker’s €130m (£112m) release clause. The bad news is that the reports reckons that the signing is far more likely to happen in the summer than in January, which makes sense given Chelsea’s need to stay on the right side of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

There has yet to be any direct contact with Napoli, apparently, but Mauricio Pochettino is apparently hopeful that the groundwork being done now will smooth the passage of any future deal. Should things fall through, the report claims that there is a back-up shortlist of four other forwards – it names Viktor Gyökeres, Evan Ferguson, Victor Boniface and Dušan Vlahović.

The 3AM Verdict: We still suspect that there is very little chance of this deal getting done during the January transfer window, simply because of the finances involved, but it’s pretty clear that Chelsea are doing everything they can to be at the front of the queue in the summer. And needless to say, it would be quite some signing – the Blues have been one of the best in the Premier League at creating chances but among the worst at putting them away efficiently, and a player like Osimhen could completely change that. The list of alternatives isn’t bad, either, to be fair.

Steven Gerrard’s Saudi side look to Liverpool again

Jordan Henderson may reportedly be regretting his decision to move from Merseyside to the Saudi Pro League last summer, but that isn’t stopping his club Al-Ettifaq, managed by former Reds captain Steven Gerrard, from lining up another raid of Liverpool – at least according to 90min.

They say that Joël Matip and Thiago Alcântra, both of whom are out of contract at the end of June, are both targets for what would likely be extremely lucrative free transfers. Thiago, who has had an injury-blighted season and has yet to make an appearance for Liverpool, is expected to be let go by Liverpool this summer, but it’s not yet clear whether Jürgen Klopp wants to keep Cameroonian defender Matip around once he’s recovered from his season-ending cruciate ligament injury. Apparently Al-Ettifaq also have Ryan Kent, who played under Gerrard at Rangers, on their radar too.

The 3AM Verdict: You have to wonder if either player who have a chat with Henderson before signing up for a stint in Saudi Arabia – the England midfielder is apparently trying his best to beat a quick retreat from the Pro League. But while they may not get positive feedback from their former team-mate, money does have a pretty loud voice, and with both Matip and Thiago the wrong side of 30, we wouldn’t be surprised if they cashed in.

Lyon look to West Ham winger

Fallen French giants Lyon are not having the best season so far – amid fan unrest and financial issues, they hover precariously over the relegation zone in Ligue 1. That means they’re looking to beef up their squad for what could be a crucial second half of the season, and Sport Witness suggest that they’ve made West Ham United wide man Saïd Benrahma their number one target.

The winger has struggled for minutes this season and may well be keen on the move, but money will be a stumbling block. Lyon are not exactly awash with cash these days, and apparently a deal would set them back “more than €20m (£17.2m)” as the Hammers would want to recoup as much as possible of the fee they sent to Brentford back in 2021.

The 3AM Verdict: Having been a regular under David Moyes last season, the Algerian has fallen down the pecking order and has just eight Premier League appearances to his name so far this season – so a move may well be for the best for all parties. They paid £25m with up to £5m in add-ons for Benrahma’s services, so it sounds like they won’t be turning a profit on this one – the question is whether Lyon can rustle up enough money to make it work. As for West Ham, they should think carefully before going through with this one, as squad depth is a definite issue and a few injuries could make life very tough for them.