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As per reports, Chelsea scouts are keeping tabs on 23-year-old Bundesliga striker Victor Boniface, who they have recommended to Blues manager Enzo Maresca. It is worth noting that the Bayer Leverkusen star has little intention of playing in the Premier League, as he openly revealed in an interview.
When asked about potentially making his mark in the Premier League, the 23-year-old striker told SportyTV's YouTube channel:
"No. I'm not saying this just because I'm at this level. I've been saying this, even before I [got my] international passport and before I dreamt of coming to Europe: I don't really like the Premier League... I prefer German football and Spanish football."
However, he added a caveat that he would contemplate a move if a "good team" opted to sign him:
"I'm not saying if, for example, a good team comes for me, I will not go. I'm just saying if you asked me [for] two countries I would really want to play in, it would be Germany and Spain."
According to GiveMeSport (via Teamtalk), Chelsea are holding out hope, with the scouting department still recommending Victor Boniface to Maresca. Unsurprisingly, they are interested in the striker, who has already scored five goals and provided an assist in just eight appearances across competitions this season.
Boniface has scored 26 goals and provided 11 assists in 42 games for Leverkusen since joining from Union SG in the summer of 2023. He helped the club win the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal last season.
The focus for Chelsea, however, remains Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who failed to agree a deal with the Blues last summer. The striker is currently on loan at Galatasaray, where he has scored twice and provided as many assists in just three Super Lig games.
Chelsea manager explained why they failed to sign Osimhen in the summer
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca explained why the Blues were unable to sign Victor Osimhen in the summer. The English giants looked to secure a deal late in the transfer window, but it did not come to fruition.
Maresca spoke about the transfer, revealing that the "conditions were not good". He told the press (via football-Italia):
“We want players but we want players that we decide and then the condition has to be our condition. So if the players are not here, then that means the conditions were not good for us."
It is believed Osimhen was displeased with Chelsea's offer, which would have seen him earn less than half of his Napoli salary. While the Italian giants reportedly pay him €10m per season, the Blues offered €4m per season as his base pay.
