Victor Osimhen is expected to seal a departure from Napoli in the summer transfer window. Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Chelsea have all been linked to the Nigeria international over the last few months, however interest may have dwindled after he struggled to match his stunning performances from the 2022/23 season in the most recent campaign.
From 32 appearances in all competitions, Osimhen managed 17 goals which was 14 less than his tally from Napoli’s Scudetto-winning season. Nonetheless, there is still some interest in Osimhen although the £113million release clause inserted into his new contract, signed just over six months ago, could complicate matters.
Both aforementioned London clubs are looking to sign a new striker while PSG are in the market to find the perfect Kylian Mbappe replacement. With that said, football.london has rounded up all the latest updates on Osimhen ahead of the summer window opening.
Osimhen to Arsenal boost
Arsenal are the only team in the transfer race for Osimhen, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
“Osimhen, we assume that he will go away,” Di Marzio began via Il Napolista. “At the moment, there is only Arsenal, who are far from the clause.
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“If he were to leave, and at the moment it is not certain, the very first choice would be [Romelu] Lukaku, the alternative is [Artem] Dovbyk from Girona.”
£113m problem
As briefly mentioned above, Arsenal do not have the available finances to seal a deal for Osimhen. Spending over £200million last summer has left the Gunners treading carefully to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
football.london has reported Arsenal are unlikely to make any marquee additions similar to the Declan Rice deal from last summer. As such, sanctioning a move for Osimhen, with his triple-figure release clause, is unlikely.
Final Chelsea decision
Chelsea looked to be in pole position to sign Osimhen, however that is certainly no longer the case.
As per multiple reports, the Blues are no longer looking to sign the striker with the club unwilling to pay his release clause. Concerns over his injury record and whether or not he would fit Enzo Maresca’s play style have also impacted their decision.
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