Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali will be 'heavily involved' in January transfer | OneFootball

Chelsea head into 2024 with one clear priority: to find an elite striker. Of course, this is far easier said than done.

There is still no internal clarity yet on who Chelsea will prioritise. It's clear Victor Osimhen is a top target, but it's almost impossible to secure him in January. The Nigerian is close to extending his stay at Napoli until 2026, but there will be a £100m+ release clause allowing for a summer move.

Even if Osimhen somehow doesn't extend, the feeling from those close to the player is he wants to see out the season, and he has no reason to exit mid-season given Napoli are still in the Champions League.

There is a lot of talk about Chelsea and Ivan Toney as well, and it's true that he's one of the names on the list. But I wouldn't say he's top of it as it stands. There is still some internal debate on Toney at Chelsea, and Brentford will be looking for £80m+ in January. As revealed before, Toney would welcome a move from Arsenal.

Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres has a release clause of €100m, but this will need to be triggered (or bettered should suitors want a different payment structure) to prise him away from the club he only joined over the summer. Chelsea have scouted Gyokeres, much like Club Brugge's Antonio Nusa and Copenhagen's Roony Bardghji.

Eghbali set for hands-on role in January transfers

Mauricio Pochettino is certainly more informed to input now than over the summer when he first joined, but he won't have any increased say as far as I am told. He remains a crucial voice, and will be pushing for some experience, but co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley will still lead all January business and co-owner Behdad Eghbali will be heavily involved. Todd Boehly has taken a bit of a step back from recruitment and is more brand and big-picture focused, but like Eghbali is not afraid to get his hands dirty when required.

Chelsea's dramatic win over Newcastle on penalties to reach the League Cup semi-finals was much needed. The League Cup could end up being Chelsea's best chance of qualifying for Europe. Of course, the hope is league form will pick up in the second half of the season and Chelsea can go on a run. And Christopher's Nkunku is seen as a key component of making a push for Europe via the Premier League.

Christopher Nkunku: What to expect

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The aim remains to be patient with Pochettino, who himself has to be patient with his young squad. When he joined the plan was to have a two-way appraisal this summer, which is midway through the guaranteed part of his two-year deal. Chelsea's project will only work with stability and it's not easy to find a fit for this type of ambitious project. There are plenty of coaches who want to come to Chelsea, even without European football, but the owners need a strategic and personality fit, not just a football one.

Chelsea could send Pape Daouda Diong to Strasbourg

Just a final word on Pape Daouda Diong, who was pictured alongside Kendry Paez in the win over Newcastle. 16-year-old Paez has already joined and is visiting Stamford Bridge to start his integration even though he can't officially move until he's 18 in 2025.

17-year-old Diong is a combative midfielder who is currently at AF Darou Salam in Senegal. He was scouted at the Under-17 World Cup and was a key part of the Senegal squad at the Under-17 World Cup in Indonesia playing all four games as Senegal eventually lost to France in the last sixteen on penalties.

Diong is quite likely to be earmarked for Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg. Chelsea's parent company, BlueCo, are going to be able to add a fair amount of youth to the group if they can add to their multi-club model in 2024 and beyond. Sources indicate two further clubs are under active consideration.