Napoli director, Giovanni Manna, has revealed that the club is “working to find a solution” for Victor Osimhen to leave on a permanent deal this summer, reports football.london.
Osimhen, 26, was close to exiting Naples for good before the start of the 2024/25 season, but after a deal failed to get completed, he instead joined Galatasaray on loan. Since making the move to Istanbul, the Nigerian has scored 20 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions.
However, Galatasaray are not expected to sign Osimhen on a permanent transfer and a Premier League move is instead looking more prominent. Chelsea and Arsenal have both been linked with a move for Osimhen, who has a £90 million release clause in his contract that expires in summer 2027.
While Napoli might have to lower their valuation to sell Osimhen, Manna is hopeful that the club and the striker can find a solution for him to depart for good to ensure there is no repeat of last year’s transfer fiasco.
“Victor is always going to be a hotly-debated topic and not just on the transfer market,” Manna told Sky Sport Italia.
“He is an appetising player for clubs, he has a clause and everyone knows this, we are working to find a solution as quickly as possible, so that we can avoid what happened last year.”
Chelsea have a long-standing interest in Osimhen and could revisit a move as they look to strengthen their forward line. Nicolas Jackson has been their first-choice No.9 over the last 18 months but he flattered to deceive at times, having scored nine goals and added five assists in 23 Premier League matches this season.
With Jackson now out injured, the Blues don’t have a recognised back-up. Nineteen-year-old sensation Marc Guiu is also unavailable, leaving Pedro Neto to lead the line instead. It’s evident that if Chelsea want to challenge for the Premier League title, they need to add further firepower to their squad.
As for Arsenal, they are in desperate need of a new centre forward. They have played the last three matches without an out-and-out No.9 and looked toothless. Even before Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus got injured, the Gunners needed to bolster that position but it’s looking even more important now.
Osimhen is someone that has been linked with the Gunners in the past and could be a long-term solution in that position. The former Lille man has an excellent goal scoring record over his career, with his 31-goal 2022/23 season his most prolific – a campaign that saw Napoli lift the Serie A title.
(The Guardian)
