Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, might be unable to leave his club in the coming transfer window due to his hefty price tag, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 25-year-old striker has grown in leaps and bounds since joining Napoli from LOSC Lille in 2020, scoring 76 goals and providing 18 assists in 133 games for Gli Azzurri.
After four years at the club, the Nigerian striker has set sights on a move to a bigger team, preferably, in the English Premier League.
During his stay in Italy, Osimhen won the league for Napoli. Individually, he won the Italian Player of the Year and CAF Player of the Year awards, whilst claiming the 8th position in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings.
Interest in Victor Osimhen
Soccernet.ng earlier reported that Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are keen on the services of the former Wolfsburg striker. However, there lies a huge stumbling block.
In December, Victor Osimhen penned a new deal with Napoli, that will see him stay at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium until the summer of 2026. The deal also included a €130m release clause.
While Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have the financial superpower, Arsenal do not, and have set their sights on cheaper targets like RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško.
As per Calcio Mercato, there are currently no serious offers on the table for Osimhen. Mikel Arteta finds the former Wolfsburg striker perfect for Arsenal, but there is a difference between the preference of a manager and an investment of this magnitude.
He is also a welcome profile at Paris Saint-Germain, but the French Champions have their gaze fixed on Kvaratskhelia, as he’s considered the appropriate player to fill the void left by Kylian Mbappé.
Financial Disparity
Napoli have proposed a swap-deal option with Chelsea that will see Romelu Lukaku re-unite with Antonio Conte in Naples, while Osimhen will head to London. However, both clubs are far apart in their evaluation of Lukaku, as the Blues want nothing less than €38m.
To balance the books, the London side also needs to make sales before venturing into the transfer market. They want to sell Trevor Chalobah and are also waiting for Borussia Dortmund to match their €35m asking price for Ian Maatsen. The Champions League finalists are willing to pay just €22m.
Mauricio Pochettino was a big fan of Osimhen, but the Argentine was fired after a year with Chelsea. The Blues have been linked to Enzo Maresca, and it is yet to be seen if the Italian will be interested in bringing the Nigerian to the Stamford bridge.
PSG do not consider Osimhen a priority at the moment, as they currently have Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos as options up-front.
Will Osimhen be able to leave this summer?
Whether or not Osimhen will leave is dependent on several factors outside of Napoli. If Chelsea do not find a decent buyer for Lukaku, they won’t be able to match Napoli’s asking price for Osimhen.
While Conte wants to work with Lukaku again, Napoli are also evaluating other options, should Osimhen depart. Girona’s Artem Dovbyk, and Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez are names that have been mentioned within the Napoli hierarchy that will cost would slightly higher than Lukaku, but they’re still very young and would have a decent resale value.
If Chelsea or PSG can come up with a fitting bid for Napoli, then Osimhen will leave. A deal might not happen until after the Euros. There is still a lot of time for a move in the summer.