Chelsea ready bold transfer bid for prime attacking target as Aston Villa could lose star midfielder

The January transfer window can either make or break a team’s season and one club that cannot afford to slip up in the winter window is Chelsea who are targeting a return to Europe after a dismal 12th place finish last term.

The Blues have had plenty of problems on the field in recent months despite an array of big money signings and signs of a revival after a 4-1 win at Tottenham and a 4-4 draw with Manchester City were sent crashing down by a 4-1 defeat to an injury-hit Newcastle team.

Despite the setback, Mauricio Pochettino will be hopeful that his side can respond in a busy December period where the club will hope to use their lack of European football to their advantage.

Overall, despite the defeat at Newcastle, Chelsea have shown signs that they are getting closer to the required levels both in terms of XG and possession, but the jury is still out on whether Nicolas Jackson can score enough goals to fire the club back into the Champions League. 

Reports from The Telegraph claim that the Blues are increasingly likely to turn their attention to Napoli star Victor Osimhen, who is believed to be the club’s top target. The Nigerian international notably fired Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years last term - scoring an incredible 31 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions.

The 24-year-old has followed that form into this campaign with six goals in nine league games, but his future in Naples appears to be in doubt following a fall out with the club’s hierarchy over a series of now deleted TikTok posts which compared the striker to a coconut.

Rumours of a departure for Osimhen have been fuelled by the striker’s decision to delete all references to the club from his social media profile and the Telegraph adds that the forward is determined to remain in Europe if he does make a move.

The 3AM verdict: Victor Osimhen has all the characteristics needed to thrive in the Premier League and he has previously labelled Didier Drogba as one of his main influences. The striker could be the missing piece of the jigsaw needed to fire the Blues up the table and should link up well with the likes of Nicolas Jackson and the returning Christopher Nkunku if he was to make the move.

Manchester City target former star

Manchester City’s business model often sees them sign young players before selling them on for a profit. But one example of a player who the club wish they had been more patient with appears to be Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, according to reports from Football Insider.

The Brazilian international, who failed to play a single game for the Citizens due to permit reasons, has been a revelation for Aston Villa since his arrival in the Premier League and has made 152 appearances in the last four seasons. Luiz has earned plaudits for his physicality and energy as a defensive midfielder, but in recent times he has started to add goals to his games with his long distance strikes and composed penalty taking abilities.

3AM verdict: With the potential sale of Kalvin Phillips on the cards, it appears to make sense for City to make a move for Luiz who possesses some of the characteristics of former City stars such as Ilkay Gunodogan and Fernandinho. 

Juventus keep tabs on Premier League trio 

Paul Pogba’s return to Juventus has proven to be disastrous for the Old Lady. The 2018 World Cup winner was limited to just six appearances in his first season back at Juventus due to injuries and now the midfielder faces a suspension for doping allegations.

Pogba was found with elevated levels of testosterone in his system and is fighting to clear his name. If found guilty of doping, he could be banned for between two and four years. Juventus are hoping to act in January to fill this hole in the midfield and reports from French outlet Foot Mercato claim they are eyeing up moves for the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Pierre Emile Hojberg and Thomas Partey.

3AM verdict: Juventus are once again competing for Serie A glory but their squad does look particularly thin in the central midfield area. The opportunity to move to Italy could prove beneficial to someone like Kalvin Phillips as he aims to gain regular first team experience ahead of Euro 2024. The linked trio have all struggled with first team football this season, but Pierre-Emile Hojberg is the one that appears to be the safest option in terms of his injury record.