It now appears the Victor Osimhen transfer from Napoli — which would end with a nine-figure sum being paid to Aurelio De Laurentiis’ club — will be a straight fight between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea.
The former would be, by most metrics, the more sensible destination.
PSG may have two of Europe's most highly-rated young strikers on their books, but neither Goncalo Ramos nor Randal Kolo Muani has secured the full trust of manager Luis Enrique or had the sort of impact expected of them despite being brought in for a combined €160 million last year.
Osimhen would almost instantly usurp both in the pecking order; with Kylian Mbappe departing for Real Madrid when the season ends, that would mean the Super Eagles star taking his place as the undoubted star in PSG's front-line — the very face of the team, even.
Also, at the Parc des Princes, UEFA Champions League football will be guaranteed for Osimhen each season — Chelsea, with a far less settled team struggling to even stay in the top half of the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino, cannot promise that.
The Blues’ need for a player like Osimhen is admittedly greater, with Nicolas Jackson yet to live up to his €37m price tag and Armando Broja not part of the plans at the moment.
Yet Chelsea does have a pull on Osimhen, given that is the club where the retired Didier Drogba, with who Osimhen heavily identifies, made his name and spent the prime years of his own career.
How Drogba bromance fuels Chelsea hopes of Osimhen transfer
Neither man has hidden his admiration for the other, especially in recent months.
“Life is surprising,” Osimhen said earlier this year at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted by Ivory Coast, Drogba's homeland.
“When I was younger, I never missed a Didier Drogba match. I imitated each of his gestures, and I did his celebration when I scored against my friends. Participating in AFCON in the native land of my idol is an honour for me.”
Osimhen didn't quite get the fairytale ending to that tournament that he'd desired — and Drogba would certainly be glad things turned out that way, with the Elephants beating Nigeria in the final — but there were some moments of genuine warmth, real public displays of affection, shared by the two during the competition.
And just last week, after Osimhen sprung bravely and loftily to score a monster of a header against Monza in Serie A, it got Drogba raving.
“Oh God!” the 46-year-old exclaimed, speaking to FOX Sports. “He got hurt, I thought. I wouldn’t have gone for that ball, it’s crazy. An absurd goal!”
Such remarks only fan the flames of fantasy Chelsea fans have about Osimhen potentially choosing their club over other suitors — following in the footsteps of his childhood hero — yet, for reasons already explained, PSG simply remains the more attractive option right now.
But even if it's the legacy of an African predecessor that the Osimhen transfer in the summer is motivated by, he will find a more sterling example in the French capital.
Why Weah should be ultimate Osimhen transfer inspiration
Drogba — along with contemporary Samuel Eto'o Fils — may have refined and redefined for Africans what it means to be an elite goalscorer in Europe, but even they would have looked up to someone greater: the legendary George Manneh Weah.
It was the Liberian who blazed the trail for African strikers in Europe, showing the way and proving that absolutely nothing was beyond the reach of his compatriots only if they aspired and strove to attain those targets.
France was Weah's first destination after moving from his home continent to Europe, and while it was at Monaco that he landed and found his feet under the expert guidance of Arsene Wenger, PSG, his next club, offered the platform to soar to much bigger things.
He spent three very successful years there — reaching the semi-finals of each of Europe's inter-club competitions at the time in successive seasons — and it was largely his body of work in PSG blue that set him up to become a Ballon d'Or and FIFA Player of the Year awardee shortly after moving to AC Milan in 1995.
In Italy, Weah continued to shine, ending his time on the peninsula with 46 Serie A goals — more than any other African had ever managed in that league.
The record stood for nearly a quarter of a century, until Osimhen broke it last year in his remarkable title-winning season with Napoli (he's currently on 62, and counting).
“It’s really amazing,” Osimhen said afterwards, when the significance of what he'd achieved started to sink in.
“A big respect to George Weah. He has put Africa on the map when he was playing here with AC Milan. For me to surpass him is a big honour.”
Osimhen transter: Could PSG propel the Nigeria star?
Weah, in a heartfelt open letter addressed to Osimhen, returned the compliment.
“I am so proud of your exploits and congratulate you on this remarkable achievement which is a result of your hard work, dedication and tenacity,” Weah, then president of his country, told the similarly powerfully-built Nigerian forward.
“However, I want to admonish you not to be contented. There are many more of my records for you to break. I wish you go on to achieve greater success.”
In the context of Italian football, it's unlikely Osimhen can match Weah's tally of multiple scudetti, but the prospect of being crowned the best footballer in Europe and in the world remains very realistic — even if no African has yet emulated those feats Weah accomplished three whole years before Osimhen was born.
PSG may not have been able to propel Mbappe — widely regarded as the natural heir to the long-standing, just-ended duopoly of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi — to those heights, but it may well turn out rather differently in the event of an Osimhen transfer, if he does join the club as is being speculated.
His chances there, surely, would be much brighter than at Chelsea — where Weah himself, at the turn of the century, spent a short but memorable stint on loan, just four years before Drogba arrived at Stamford Bridge — but, of course, it's up to him to decide.
