'You don't get one from the grocery store' - Todd Boehly speaks out on Chelsea's striker search amid Victor Osimhen transfer talk

The Blues were heavily linked with Nigeria international Victor Osimhen during the summer of 2024, as he was nudged towards the exits at Serie A side Napoli, but no deal was done and the prolific 26-year-old is now with Galatasaray – competing against former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho in the Turkish Super Lig.

In west London, Nicolas Jackson managed nine goals before succumbing to a hamstring injury. Marc Guiu is also nursing a knock, Christopher Nkunku has struggled to live up to expectations, and Enzo Maresca has taken to using Portuguese winger Pedro Neto as a false nine.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Chelsea co-owner Boehly said of the firepower issues: "Strikers are hard to find. You don’t go into the grocery store and say, ‘I am going to get a striker’. It is an amazing skill set and you have to have the right mentality."

On Chelsea’s overall strategy, which has seem them invest heavily on young players, Boehly added: "What we were really thinking about is how you put together a team that has the ability to stay together. When you read about the teams who were the dynasties over the years, they had superstar captains that really led them. What you're trying to find is that superstar captain."

Chelsea sit fifth in the Premier League table as things stand. That is likely to be good enough for Champions League qualification, with the Blues also in the hunt for continental honours in 2025 after reaching the last 16 of the Conference League.