Serie A: Napoli pull out all the stops to keep Victor Osimhen
SSC Napoli are reportedly doing everything in their power to keep hold of Victor Osimhen this summer. So much so that Aurelio de Laurentiis has reportedly made him an unprecedented offer. Victor Osimhen’s future has been one of the big stories in the Italian press since last summer.
The 24-year-old Nigeria international enjoyed a stellar 2022-2023 season, scoring 31 goals and providing 5 assists in 39 appearances in all competitions.
The former Lille man made a particularly significant contribution to the Italian league title.
Like his team, the 2023-2024 season was less convincing (6 goals and 2 assists in 13 games).
But SSCN are doing everything in their power to convince him to extend his contract.
Victor Osimhen currently has a contract that runs until June 2025. This means that, as things stand, his departure next summer is essential if Napoli are to make a profit on the €75m transfer they made in the summer of 2020.
Fabrizio Romano spoke about his situation in an interview with Caught Offside. And Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis is clearly determined to keep him: «They are trying to convince him with the biggest offer in the club’s history, more than Cavani or Higuain have had in recent years», said the journalist.
Last summer, Napoli set a price tag of €200 million for the former LOSC player. No money has been paid.
PSG, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Saudi Arabian clubs have all been linked with Osimhen in recent months.
But none of them have been able to reach an agreement with both SSCN and the player.
In recent weeks, Chelsea have reportedly come back into the race to sign him. Mauricio Pochettino’s side could make a big move to secure his services and strengthen their attack.
However, they will need UEFA’s permission to do so. The Blues have spent over a billion euros on recruitment since Roman Abramovich left the club.
That’s well beyond what Financial Fair Play allows.