There are plenty of Chelsea striker targets that could follow Joao Felix to Stamford Bridge, and every one of them has a tough task if such a move comes to fruition.
Chelsea lost their opening Premier League game 2-0 at home to reigning champions Manchester City, and are perhaps in need of some more firepower before the summer transfer window closes. New boss Enzo Maresca is already under pressure after the defeat, and the Italian is currently the favourite to be the first Premier League manager to be sacked.
Nonetheless, the Blues could look to bolster their attack further by adding a brand new number nine to lead the line, with Romelu Lukaku looking likely to be sold and Nicolas Jackson failing to convince at times. Who could Chelsea sign to be their next Didier Drogba or Diego Costa? Here are three potential Chelsea striker targets…
Chelsea striker targets: The top 3
1. Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Various reports have linked Chelsea with a move for Victor Osimhen, with Napoli willing to sell the Nigeria international. However, he has a release clause of around £110m, so Chelsea may have to try and negotiate a reduction in price.
One way they could do that is by offering wantaway striker Lukaku in part-exchange, with new Napoli and former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte keen on the 31-year-old.
Osimhen is no doubt a world-class striker on his day, having fired Napoli to the 2022/23 Scudetto with 26 goals in Serie A, but injury problems came alight last season which could hinder his development.
2. Ivan Toney (Brentford)
According to The Sun, Chelsea are considering a late swoop for Ivan Toney. Brentford ideally want to sell him by the weekend, with head coach Thomas Frank admitting that he left his star striker out of Sunday's 2-1 opening Premier League home win against Crystal Palace for transfer reasons.
The Bees are thought to be looking for £45m for Toney, which could represent excellent value for an England international who is proven in the Premier League. However, some reports have claimed that he has a bad attitude behind the scenes, which could put the Blues off signing him.
3. Lois Openda (RB Leipzig)
TEAMtalk linked Chelsea with a potential move for RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda earlier in the window, and the London club may look to revisit that. The Belgian is thought to be an ideal fit for Maresca's system, and has a release clause of £70m.
Openda scored an impressive 24 goals in his debut season in the Bundesliga in 2023/24, and at 24 years of age, has plenty of potential. However, it may not be easy to prise him away from Leipzig so soon, as he is contracted there until 2028.
