Al Ahli, the Saudi Arabian team, has reached an agreement regarding the transfer fees for two strikers targeted by Chelsea, Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen.
A fee of £40m has been agreed upon between Al Ahli and Brentford for Toney. Additionally, according to Sky in Italy, Al Ahli has also agreed to a fee of £67.3m (€80m) for Napoli’s Osimhen.
Both players are scheduled for medical examinations, with Toney’s set to take place in London on Friday.
However, although Al Ahli is likely to sign only one of the strikers, as indicated by Saudi sources, it is understood that Chelsea has not given up on their long-term target, Osimhen. It should be noted that any potential move would need to adhere to the club’s wage structure.
The Blues were ready to secure Osimhen on loan with a commitment to purchase, but Al Ahli outpaced Chelsea by finalizing a four-year agreement with the 25-year-old valued at approximately £33.6m (€40m) per season – or £646,154 per week – tax-free. The contract also includes a release clause.
If the deal for the former Lille striker is finalized, he would be joining the club that Napoli desires him to join the most.
Serie A has already acquired a potential replacement for Osimhen in Romelu Lukaku, who transferred from Chelsea on Thursday.
Prior to accepting the Saudi move, Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda emphasized that “he still has a lot to achieve in Europe” – a statement that seemed to offer Chelsea an opportunity to present an acceptable proposal.
The west London club, however, has not met Osimhen’s expectations, as Chelsea requires him to align with their revised salary structure.
Chelsea faced another setback in their pursuit of a proven goal scorer for the No 9 position when Al Ahli also reached an agreement with Toney.
With less than a year remaining on his contract with the Bees, the English international’s future is uncertain.
Brentford chose not to include Toney in their line-up for the first two Premier League matches against Crystal Palace and Liverpool. Furthermore, he was also left out of the squad for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup second-round victory over Colchester United.
