'He can adapt to Chelsea perfectly' - Ex-Blues star begs club to sign 'dream' striker in January after Liam Delap injury blow

The No.9 shirt at Stamford Bridge remains somewhat of a poisoned chalice, as striker after striker have donned the shirt for the Blues but have failed to deliver the goods for the west London outfit over a period of time exceeding 20 years.

Delap may not have had the opportunity to truly show what he is about on the pitch, but the 22-year-old has already missed 11 matches through injury this campaign and is not expected to be back in action until the new year at the very least, though this is not as bad as initially feared after he suffered a shoulder injury at Bournemouth.

A two-time Premier League winner with Chelsea, Gallas has revealed that he feels Nigeria international and current Galatasaray star Osimhen could be the striker who could turn things around at Stamford Bridge, offering the club the experience they have been lacking in forward areas for several years.

Osimhen became a global star during his time at Napoli, where he won the Scudetto in 2023 and became one of the most sought-after strikers in world football in the process. Premier League clubs have long been linked with his signature, but a mixture of high demands by both Napoli and the player meant that a move to England fell through. Osimhen instead secured a move to Galatasaray last summer following a previous loan spell, and has scored 48 goals in 56 matches for the Turkish giants.

Gallas told OLBG on Osimhen and Chelsea: “To be honest, Chelsea, at the moment, I think they are missing one experienced player, and a player who can put Chelsea really on top for me is Victor Osimhen.

“I wanted to see him sign for Chelsea. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. But yeah, my dream is to see him play for Chelsea because with his quality, I think he can adapt to Chelsea perfectly.”

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Gallas also spoke on Delap and his – admittedly stunted – adaptation period at Chelsea, claiming that the former Ipswich Town striker needs to “take a risk” in order to return to the player he was for the Tractor Boys last season, where he scored 12 league goals in the first top-flight season of his career ahead of his £30million ($40m) summer move to the Bridge.

The former defender, who represented all of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur during his Premier League career, cited the increased pressure Delap may be feeling with the Blues and may feel that having Osimhen alongside him could help the young striker thrive.

Gallas said: “I think he [Delap] has to take a risk. He has to try to be the same player he was at Ipswich, he scored goals. He looked like he was enjoying his football.

“I know when you move to another club, especially a big club, you get more pressure, you try to do everything right, but no, just be who you are and take some risks and nobody will tell you not to.”

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will look to add another striker in January following Delap’s latest injury set-back. In the meantime, teenager Marc Guiu may get more of a chance to show his worth amidst the continued belief that Joao Pedro prefers playing in behind the striker.

Chelsea already showed the door to their most senior striking option last summer in Nicolas Jackson, who is currently plying his trade on loan at Bayern Munich and is unlikely to have any kind of a future at Stamford Bridge.

Osimhen has expressed a desire to move to the Premier League in the past and if the Blues were to listen to Gallas and make a move for the Nigerian, the chance remains that they could get their man.