TRANSFER GOSSIP COLUMN: Chelsea want to sign Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney in January… while Barcelona target Mason Greenwood and Crystal Palace hope to beat Premier League rivals to £30m Juventus star

Chelsea want to sign a new striker in the January transfer window
Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen are Mauricio Pochettino’s main targets
Todd Boehly reminds me of the rich drunk guy at a sporting memorabilia night with the players Chelsea have bought – Listen to It’s All Kicking Off

The opening of the January transfer window is just over two weeks away and Chelsea are gearing up for business.

The Blues have spent over £1billion in three transfer windows under Todd Boehly and could well be splashing the cash again next month as Mauricio Pochettino looks to bolster his attacking options.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney and Napoli star Victor Osimhen head the five-man shortlist Chelsea have drawn up, but the reigning Serie A champions are desperate to keep hold of the Nigerian who fired them to a first title in 33 years last season with 26 goals.

Elsewhere, Jadon Sancho’s proposed move to Barcelona appears to be already dead in the water, but the LaLiga giants are keeping tabs on another Manchester United outcast.

Below, Mail Sport takes a look at all the latest news and gossip on Thursday.

Victor Osimhen tops Chelsea’s wishlist but could be set to sign a new deal with Napoli

The Blues are also keen to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who will return to action in January after an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules

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Brentford striker Ivan Toney, Napoli star Victor Osimhen and Sweden international Viktor Gyokeres all feature in a five-man shortlist Chelsea have drawn up in their search for a new forward. Toney will return to action next month after an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules, while Napoli value Osimhen at over £100million and Gyokeres has an £87m release clause with Sporting Lisbon. (Evening Standard)

Chelsea’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen, however, could be complicated by the fact the Nigerian is close to extending his deal with Napoli until 2026. Osimhen’s current contract runs out in 18 months and a new deal would also include a release clause of £115m. (Sky Sports Italy)

Barcelona have ruled out a swap deal involving Jadon Sancho and Raphinha. The England international has been frozen out at Manchester United after falling out with Erik ten Hag in September, while the former Leeds winger has scored 12 goals and registered 17 assists in 65 games for the Catalans. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish)

Barcelona are among the European clubs keeping tabs on Mason Greenwood. The Manchester United forward has been on loan at Getafe since the summer, after charges of attempted rape and assault were dropped in February. (talkSPORT)

Barcelona are among the European clubs keeping tabs on Mason Greenwood

Chelsea will listen to offer for Dutch left-back Ian Maatsen in the January transfer window. In the summer, the Blues had agreed a loan deal with Burnley that included a £31.5m obligation to buy, only for the 21-year-old to snub a move to Turf Moor. (Mirror)

Crystal Palace are hoping to steal a march on Tottenham and Newcastle in the race to sign Juventus star Matias Soule. Juventus are reportedly ready to accept a £30m offer for the 20-year-old Argentinian, who has scored six goals in 13 Serie A games while on loan at Frosinone this season. (Corriere dello Sport – in Italian)

Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi could replace Ivan Toney at Brentford, should the latter leave in January. The Japan international has scored 62 times in 106 appearances for the Glasgow giants. (TeamTalk)

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Aston Villa could sign Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Oscar Gloukh next month as Unai Emery looks to freshen up his squad following a stunning first half of the season. The 19-year-old Israel international has scored six goals and registered six assists in 25 games in all competitions this season and could cost in the region of £50m. (Football Insider)

Nottingham Forest have reached a verbal agreement to sign Fluminense and Brazil defender Nino, but negotiations between the clubs over a £4.7m fee remain ongoing. The 26-year-old has won six Brazil caps and played 237 games for Fluminense. (Florian Plettenberg)

Wolves have agreed a contract extension with South Korea forward Hwang Hee-chan until June 2028, with an option for a further 12 months. The 27-year-old has scored eight Premier League goals this season. (Fabrizio Romano)

Reiss Nelson is hoping to stay at Arsenal after making his first start of the season in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven. The 24-year-old spent signed a deal with the Gunners until 2027, which can be extended by a further year. (Sport Witness)

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