After their looming Conference League final, Enzo Maresca can turn his full attention to the summer transfer window, with Chelsea sealing their spot in the Champions League for next season and their 2024/2025 Premier League campaign drawing to a close in excellent fashion.
Chelsea seal top five Premier League finish as summer work begins
In the build up to their crucial 1-0 win away to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, much was made about the importance of sealing all three points and confirming their place in Europe's most prestigious competition.
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[Talks held: Chelsea now "really pushing" to sign £67m striker before Arsenal get to him](https://www.footballfancast.com/chelsea-arsenal-transfers-benjamin-sesko-latest/ "Talks held: Chelsea now "really pushing" to sign £67m striker before Arsenal get to him")
The Blues are giving Mikel Arteta serious competition.
Not only does it represent a significant milestone when it comes to Maresca's debut season in the dugout, but the riches that come with competing in the Champions League in terms of revenue and overall player-pull also cannot be understated.
Race for Champions League qualification - Final standings
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Maresca suggested back in April that Chelsea's European status would impact their recruitment strategy this summer, but the Italian and Stamford Bridge officials can now rest easy in the knowledge that they go into the next transfer window in a very strong position to attract their desired targets.
The signing of a prolific striker is perhaps their most important potential deal of the summer, with many high-profile names already linked ahead of the first mini-window, which opens from June 1 to June 10 and allows Chelsea to register new players before their Club World Cup campaign.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca
According to journalist Simon Phillips this week, Chelsea have held talks over signing RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, with Arsenal and Maresca's side both pushing hard for his signature. However, the Slovenian is by no means their only option.
Slovenia's Benjamin Sesko celebrates with team mates after scoring their first goal from the penalty spot
Links to Napoli outcast and Galatasaray star Victor Osimhen have re-emerged recently, following the club's well-documented attempts to sign the Nigerian last summer (Fabrizio Romano), which ultimately fell through.
Osimhen remains keen on a move to Chelsea nearly a year later, with Phillips sharing another update on their striker hunt involving the 26-year-old.
According to the journalist, Osimhen is currently waiting to see if Chelsea contact him about a summer move again, as he looks to discover if the west Londoners are in fact interested in a deal for the £172,000-per-week striker.
"Victor Osimhen to Chelsea is far from over," wrote Phillips on Sunday.
Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen celebrates after the match-1
"The player is awaiting to see whether Chelsea get UCL football and whether getting it means they will be back in touch with him about a move this summer, and Chelsea are still weighing up pushing for him again."
With Champions League football now secured, the ball is firmly in Chelsea's court, and there is every reason to believe the ex-Lille star would be an exceptional signing for Maresca.
Osimhen has torn the Süper Lig to shreds during his temporary stint in Turkey, bagging 36 goals and eight assists in all competitions, with ex-Chelsea midfielder John Obi-Mikel also desperate for BlueCo to bring him in.
Osimhen-Chelsea
"Victor has been on fire, unplayable sometimes. Unplayable. Scoring goals, creating chances, everything he does this season has been absolutely fantastic," said the pundit on his Obi-One podcast last week.
"So for me, like I’ve said, and I’ve always said: this is a player that wins you trophies. This is a player that puts you in the top 4. This is a player that is reliable. He will get you goals. I don’t want to see him at PSG, I don’t want to see him at Manchester United, I don’t want to see him at Arsenal. He’s tailor-made for us [Chelsea]."
Osimhen's release clause will be around £63 million from July, so he remain a very interesting option.