Chelsea send Mikel to Istanbul in a desperate bid to sign Osimhen before transfer window closes

ENGLISH Premier league giants Chelsea have sent former midfielder and Nigerian skipper Mikel Obi to Istanbul in a last ditch desperate bid to get Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen to sign for them before the close of the January transfer window.

Mikel, 37, played for Chelsea between 2006 and 2017, making a total of 249 appearances for the Blues. In September 2022, Mikel retired from the game and has been working as a consultant in numerous capacities, with it now looking like Chelsea have hired him to try and woo compatriot Osimhen to join them.

Last summer, a bitter battle raged to sign Osimhen, with Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG all involved in the race to get his signature. Chelsea emerged as the clear favourite to sign him after reaching an agreement with his Italian side Napoli but it appears that the club was unable to agree personal terms with the player, leading to the deal collapsing at the last minute.

Osimhen has since gone out on loan to Turkish side Galatasaray, who are hoping to keep him until the end of the season but apparently, Chelsea want the striker now. Mikel has been sent to Istanbul to try and convince his fellow Nigerian to come to Stamford Bridge before the close of the January transfer window at the end of the month.

Over recent weeks, Osimhen has been linked with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea ahead of the closing of the January transfer deadline. Mikel, who remains a passionate advocate for Chelsea, has been vocal about his desire to see Osimhen don the Blues jersey and was spotted at Galatasaray’s Florya Metin Oktay training facility, where he met key figures within the club as well as Osimhen.

Mikel said: “I hope that Chelsea fans will finally see him come to the club. I’ll make sure I send him those text messages and calls, making sure Chelsea is his top priority.

“Didier Drogba is also speaking to him, sharing his ideas and what the club means to us. We all want to see Victor come to the club. If it happens, it happens. It’s a huge transfer fee but if we can match it and get him to the club, that would be fantastic.”

Both Mikel and Didier Drogba were involved last summer when a potential move to Stamford Bridge fell through in the final hours of the transfer window. Now, however, Arsenal are actively exploring ways to secure the 26-year-old’s services after Manchester United’s £59m bid was rejected.

Despite the interest, Osimhen has expressed his commitment to completing his loan spell with Galatasaray. Napoli officials have also attempted to secure the striker’s long-term commitment but their efforts have been unsuccessful so far.