August 12, (THEWILL) – Napoli Club Director, Giovanni Manna, has confirmed that striker Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the Italian Serie A champions.
The Nigerian footballer, who extended his contract with Napoli until 2026 in December 2023, is reportedly a target for Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain.
Manna stated: “Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the club. He wants to go. The situation is clear; there were already chances for his exit last summer. We will see in the next 20 days.” The 25-year-old striker’s current release clause is set at €130 million.
Chelsea FC are particularly interested in signing Osimhen to bolster their attacking options for the 2024/2025 season. The London club have already agreed to sign Samuel Omorodion from Atletico Madrid but are still in need of a proven goal-scorer. Chelsea neighbours Arsenal have similarly shown interest but might be put off by the hefty sign-on fee.
Osimhen’s potential departure from Napoli comes after he guided the club to their first Serie A title in over three decades during the 2022/2023 season, scoring 26 league goals and winning the top scorer award as the first ever African to do so. The striker has not featured in any of Napoli’s pre-season fixtures, with his last appearance for the club coming in a 0-0 draw against Lecce at the end of the 2023/2024 season.
While Napoli are open to Osimhen’s departure, they are keen on signing Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea as a replacement. However, Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, has ruled out the possibility of a swap or loan deal this season. With the transfer window closing in less than three weeks, all parties will be working to resolve the situation quickly.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
