Chelsea blitz Man Utd by making first move for Serie A star as staggering double deal takes shape
Inter trio Nicolo Barella, Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco
Chelsea have moved past Manchester United in the chase for Inter star Federico Dimarco by taking their first step towards signing him, with a report also providing the latest on their hunt to land Napoli ace Victor Osimhen.
On October 17, it emerged that Man Utd are rivalling Paris Saint-Germain for the capture of Dimarco, a versatile player that can operate as a left-back, centre-half or left midfielder. Two days later, TEAMtalk exlusively revealed that Man Utd have scouted Dimarco on several occasions after manager Erik ten Hag shortlisted him as a transfer target.
Ten Hag is clearly in need of a new left-back as he has had to operate without Luke Shaw, Sergio Reguilon and Tyrell Malacia due to injury in recent weeks. This has seen centre-back Victor Lindelof and midfielder Sofyan Amrabat be utilised there instead.
TEAMtalk transfer insider Fraser Fletcher added that while Inter have been working to tie Dimarco down to a new contract, there has been some frustration in the player’s camp due to his relatively low wages.
CaughtOffside have provided an update on the situation. They state that Man Utd now face serious Premier League competition for the 25-year-old, as rivals Chelsea have burst into the race for him.
It is claimed that Mauricio Pochettino’s side have even made an ‘enquiry’ to see if they will be able to snare Dimarco in the January window.
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A transfer to Stamford Bridge would see Dimarco battle Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell for a starting spot at left-back, with the latter having been out with a hamstring injury since late September. The Blues signing Dimarco could result in Ian Maatsen finally being sold, as they recently extended his contract to 2025 to protect his transfer value.
CaughtOffside mention that Dimarco could be signed by Chelsea in a massive double Serie A raid that also involves Osimhen. The centre-forward is named as a ‘top target’ for Chelsea, with Pochettino aiming to add a truly elite striker to his squad.
Chelsea want both Federico Dimarco and Victor Osimhen
Chelsea already have Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja in their setup, though both players are still young and learning their trade. Signing Osimhen would elevate Chelsea to the next level and help to close the gap on the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.
And in a boost for Chelsea, Fabrizio Romano recently poured cold water on claims Liverpool have already reached an agreement to take Osimhen to Anfield.
Despite holding a strong interest in both players, Chelsea will need to work very hard if they are to pull off this double swoop. CaughtOffside add that Inter are making progress in their contract talks with Dimarco, so Chelsea will need to move swiftly to submit a bid and disrupt those negotiations.
Osimhen, meanwhile, is unlikely to pen a new Napoli deal after the club mocked him in two controversial social media posts. Although, Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis is still a very hard person to negotiate with, so Chelsea will have to pay far more than £100million to agree a deal, and potentially as much as £150m.
