Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer.
Victor Osimhen is expected to leave Napoli during the summer transfer window. Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, and Chelsea have all been linked with the Nigerian international in recent months, but interest may have waned after he struggled to replicate his stunning performances from the 2022/23 season in the most recent campaign.
Osimhen scored 17 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions, 14 fewer than he did during Napoli’s Scudetto-winning season. Osimhen’s new contract, signed just over six months ago, includes a £113 million release clause, which could complicate matters.
Both of the aforementioned London clubs are looking to sign a new striker, while PSG is searching for the ideal Kylian Mbappe replacement. Football.london provides up-to-date information on Osimhen during the summer transfer window.
Chelsea are reportedly looking to ‘progress’ their efforts to sign Osimhen this summer. According to CaughtOffside, the Blues are re-entering the market for Osimhen after initially opting out due to his massive release clause earlier this year.
With only two years left on his current contract, it is unclear how Chelsea will secure the star, but reports suggest Romelu Lukaku could be part of a player-plus-cash deal that would see him play for Napoli ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Enzo Maresca has hinted at the possibility of more signings, given that Chelsea has made five so far this summer, and has stated that he believes the squad he has at his disposal is already full of talent, implying that a big splash in the market may not be his style so early in his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
In his first club interview in early July, he stated: “I am very excited.” One of the reasons I am here is that I believe the squad is very good and full of talent. The most important thing now is that we can create the right culture to drive us through the season.
“I always say the same thing: if you can improve individual players, you can improve the team. So we are aiming to improve all of them on a daily basis.”
According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Arsenal is the only team interested in signing Osimhen.
“Osimhen, we assume that he will go away,” Di Marzio wrote in Il Napolista. “At the moment, Arsenal is the only team that is far from the clause.
“If he were to leave, which is not certain at the moment, the first choice would be [Romelu] Lukaku, with [Artem] Dovbyk from Girona as an alternative.”
As previously stated, Arsenal does not have the necessary funds to complete a deal for Osimhen. After spending more than £200 million last summer, the Gunners are treading carefully to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR)
Source: The NewsHAUS
