Chelsea have three-step transfer plan to sign Victor Osimhen as £80m deal path clear

Six months since tried and failed to sign before the closed on , the goals have dried up.

After scoring 22 times in their first 15 matches, the Blues have managed just 12 in their last 10. has just one of those dozen - against in mid-December - and the striker is now seemingly out until after the March international break because of a hamstring injury.

also has a similar problem, meaning Chelsea are currently without two of their three top scorers. is now leading the line but - albeit in limited minutes - has just two league goals, equal to .

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Meanwhile, since a move to collapsed, Osimhen has scored 19 goals and assisted another five in 24 appearances across the and Turkish Super Lig for Galatasaray. Despite such fine form, the striker's stay in Istanbul will be fleeting.

Only on loan until the end of this season, a return to and eventual summer departure to a third team appears inevitable. A reported release clause worth around £62million (€75m) should ensure another move materialises.

That represents a significant discount on the fee in the region of £100million his parent club were demanding last summer. As such, Chelsea could raise the requisite funds to meet that clause through player sales alone.

is the obvious one. Out on loan at , the Blues will need to sell for around £35million as a minimum to avoid a loss 12 months on from paying £45million to .

is another who appears to be a candidate to leave permanently this summer. , ideally after already paying a £5million loan fee, or any other club, would have to offer upwards of £20million.

There are multiple options for the third departure. has a reported £40million release clause, but after a slow start with , that increasingly seems steep.

Seemingly, the most straightforward to move on would be . The Portugal international is impressing on loan at Juventus and should at least go for £25million if Chelsea choose to cash in - with the Blues potentially netting around £80m from three player sales.