Tag: Osimhen

Chelsea’s interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has reignited, but any potential transfer will need to meet specific conditions. The Nigerian forward is open to a move to Stamford Bridge, but only on a permanent basis, ruling out the possibility of a loan deal.

Sky Sport Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio reports that while discussions between Napoli and Chelsea regarding Romelu Lukaku’s potential move to Italy are ongoing, Osimhen’s transfer is being treated as a separate matter. The Blues’ pursuit of the prolific striker is independent of any deal involving Lukaku.

For the transfer to materialize, Chelsea will need to present a substantial offer that satisfies both Napoli’s valuation of the player and Osimhen’s wage demands. The English club must be prepared to make a significant financial commitment to secure the services of the 25-year-old striker.

Read Also: Drogba, Mikel ‘begging’ Osimhen to join Chelsea

Osimhen’s insistence on a permanent move underscores his desire for a long-term commitment from his next club. This stance may complicate negotiations, as it eliminates the possibility of a loan with an option to buy or similar arrangements.

Two Chelsea legends are reportedly in constant contact with Osimhen in an attempt to convince him to join the club this transfer window.

They include Obi Mikel and former striker Didier Drogba, whom Osimhen reportedly idolised as a child.

“I hope that Chelsea fans finally get to see him at our club, I would like him to understand that Chelsea should become his absolute priority,” Obi Mikel told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

He added: “It would be fantastic if he came to play here.” 

In what is now been referred to a ‘game of poker’   Napoli  has left Nigeria International  striker Victor Osimhen in quandary  by  reportedly submitting  a verbal offer of £21m for Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku with a further £4.2m in add ons.

Lukaku, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Inter and Roma has a £38m exit clause in his contract, which Chelsea are believed to want in full.

The 31-year-old has reportedly agreed a three year contract with Napoli which will see him take a drop in wages.

Though Napoli have yet to agree a fee with Chelsea for the Belgium international, however Italian outlet Di Marzio have reported that  the Serie A outfit have made a verbal offer worth £21m plus a further £4.2m in add ons, and are now awaiting a response from the Blues.

Read Also: Napoli wants Osimhen out  to protect  team’s ‘integrity’

The deal is made more complicated by the fact Napoli need to offload Osimhen in order to make room for Lukaku in the squad.

To date no bids have come in for Osimhen who has a release clause of around £113m in his contract and Chelsea have held talks with Napoli over the possibility of the Nigerian being involved as part of the deal which would see Lukaku return to Italy.

The Blues reportedly want to take Osimhen on loan if it’s possible but Napoli are said to want a permanent departure.

It feels like the clubs are locked in a game of poker and are waiting to see which side cracks first, but the closer it gets to the end of the window the more likely it is that each party will alter their demands in order to agree a deal.

Chelsea and Napoli under no circumstances will want to still have Lukaku and Osimhen on their books after the close of the window so you would think it’s in their best interests to agree a deal.

Napoli are seriously considering trying to finalise a deal for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku before finding a buyer for Nigeria international striker,  Victor Osimhen.

The Blues have ultimately decided to give up on their chase of the Nigerian striker, instead switching focus to Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion, leaving the Partenopei in an awkward spot.

Napoli now need to find a buyer for Osimhen and there’s only a handful of interested parties, including Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and some clubs from Saudi Arabia. The hope is to resolve the situation in the coming weeks to unblock the transfer market.

Read Also: Chelsea ‘snub’ Osimhen for  Atletico’s Omorodion

Gianluca Di Marzio highlights how Napoli are in constant contact with Chelsea for Lukaku, irrespective of the decision on Osimhen, and are now considering their next steps.

The club are seriously considering the idea of pushing for the Belgian striker before finding a buyer for Osimhen, wanting to insert him into Antonio Conte’s squad as soon as possible.

Lukaku has been waiting for the move to Napoli, keen to work with the Italian coach again, and has been maintaining his fitness in individual training.

Napoli suffered another blow in their hopes to sell Victor Osimhen in a swap deal with Romelu Lukaku, with reports Chelsea are instead focusing on Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion.

The Partenopei cannot bring in Antonio Conte’s first choice Lukaku until Osimhen has been sold and so far nobody is going anywhere near to the €120m release clause in his contract.

Even with the price lowered to €100m plus bonuses, there are still no takers, with Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal looking elsewhere.

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They had hoped to get an exchange with Chelsea for Lukaku, but now transfer pundits Gianluca Di Marzio and Fabrizio Romano maintain that the Stamford Bridge side has instead gone for Atletico Madrid forward Omorodion.

The Spain Under-21 international only turned 20 in May and spent last season on loan at Deportivo Alaves, but has made it clear he wants to remain with Atleti.

He had also been linked with Roma and Milan earlier in the summer, but would be available for €50m.

Romano claims the initial proposal is just €35m, which will not be enough to convince player or club.

At the same time, the Corriere dello Sport had reported yesterday that Osimhen was not exactly enthusiastic about the idea of joining Chelsea anyway.

The on-going transfer saga surrounding Victor Osimhen at Napoli continues to dominate headlines, while Romelu Lukaku finds himself in a similar situation at Chelsea. Corriere dello Sport report how Osimhen missed Napoli’s fifth pre-season friendly, training alone while his teammates played against Girona. This isolation has become a recurring theme for the Nigerian striker.

Meanwhile in London, Lukaku trained alone at Cobham while Chelsea played Manchester City in Ohio during their US tour. The two strikers represent opposite sides of the same coin: Osimhen is physically present at Napoli but mentally distant, while Lukaku is away from Napoli but eager to join.

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This situation has created challenges for new Napoli coach Antonio Conte, who is trying to build his team without certainty about his primary striker. With the season starting soon – Coppa Italia in six days and Serie A in two weeks – the uncertainty is becoming a significant obstacle.

Napoli has not received any official offers for Osimhen, and his agent continues to work behind the scenes. PSG remains interested but has yet to sell either Kolo Muani or Gonçalo Ramos to make room. Arsenal is still considering other options, and a potential swap deal with Chelsea doesn’t seem to excite Osimhen.

As time passes, Napoli may need to consider the possibility of Osimhen staying, as they are unwilling to sell him below their valuation of over €100 million. Conte will need to address Osimhen’s fitness and integration into the team, having fallen behind in pre-season preparation.

Unless something give way in the on-going transfer discussions  around Victor Osimhen, there are growing  speculations  that  Napoli might be forced  to keep him but with a caveat  that  new coach  Antonio Conte might not  use him at fall.

This proposition came to the fore  after  English Premier League side, Aston Villa,  reportedly reached an agreement with Chelsea for the transfer of Romelu Lukaku, but the striker is currently only interested in a move to Napoli.

According to reports from Il Mattino via CN24, there is a complete agreement between Villa and Chelsea for the Belgian forward.

Chelsea are keen for Lukaku to finalize the move to Villa and have urged him to discuss terms. However, Lukaku has his sights set on joining Napoli to reunite with Antonio Conte.

Lukaku is currently training separately, and Chelsea are growing impatient with the unresolved situation, pushing for a swift resolution.

Conte is also eagerly awaiting Lukaku’s arrival but is concerned about the ongoing situation.

Conte , according to Foot Italia, has to retain Victor Osimhen in the squad without playing him, as no solution has been found for Osimhen’s departure even as this unresolved issue is preventing Napoli from signing Lukaku.

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In a related development, top transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, has said he does not expect any significant changes in the transfer situation of Osimhen this week.

Romano said on his YouTube Channel that all parties involved in a proposed transfer of Osimhen to Chelsea will use the rest of the week to think through different strategies for this deal.

 “This week no changes expected. It is for all the parties to think of the situation,” he said.

Osimhen’s camp has dismissed a loan transfer to Chelsea.

This will mean a huge pay cut for the player and also not in the interest of Napoli as it will bring down Osimhen’s transfer market valuation.

Romano said that what is more certain is that Napoli new coach Conte wants Lukaku.

The Belgium star has already agreed personal terms that include a three-year contract with the Serie A club.

Though Victor Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda dismissed as nothing but fake news the possibility of the Nigerian ace striker  leaving Napoli for  Chelsea  in a swap deal  involving Belgian  striker  Romelu Lukaku plus €70m cash, the proposal  is gaining  traction in several  Italian news outlets.

The 25-year-old Nigerian striker is still waiting for his high-profile move away from the Partenopei this summer, having signed a new contract back in December that includes a €130m release clause. Paris Saint-Germain seemed seriously keen but their highest offer didn’t break the €90m mark.

Napoli are keen to snap up Lukaku to please new coach Antonio Conte and have been in contact with Chelsea regarding a possible swap deal involving Osimhen and a large cash sum. Both players expect to leave their respective clubs ahead of the 2024-25 season.

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Yesterday, Corriere dello Sport, detailed how Lukaku is valued at around €30m by Napoli, despite his €44m release clause, so Chelsea would need to pay €70m as well to secure a deal for Osimhen, who is open to the move to West London.

But Football Italia journalist, Apollo Heyes, claimed a  double loan deal looks extremely unlikely considering that both players have contracts expiring in 2026, adding  the operation would need to be on definitive terms as talks between the two clubs are ongoing and developments are expected.

Premier League outfits Chelsea and Arsenal are set to join PSG in the race for the acquisition of Napoli star-forward Victor Osimhen.

As it stands, the Nigerian clinical goal-scorer has been increasingly distanced from a stay with the Partenopei as the summer window has progressed. Despite having taken part in training sessions with the squad, the 25 year-old has missed the Azzurri’s most recent friendly match.

Whilst Osimhen has reached an agreement in principle with Ligue 1 giants PSG, the French side has put their pursuit on halt as they are not too keen to match club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis’ price-tag of €100m, nor activating the Nigerian hit-man’s €130m release clause.

As a result, the pair of English sides are set to take advantage of Osimhen’s situation in order to try and lure the Serie A star to London.

Il Corriere dello Sport, via TMW, claimed that both Arsenal and Chelsea have requested information from Napoli regarding Osimhen’s current situation.

Read Also: Aston Villa complete £50m deal for Everton’s Onana

With Chelsea entering the pursuit, Napoli would be open to a swap deal which would include former Inter and Roma forward Romelu Lukaku, as Antonio Conte is eager to reunite the Belgian international following their remarkable two-year stint together at Inter in which they clinched the Scudetto together.

Incidentally, Callum Vurley of talkSPORT, said a Chelsea deal for the Nigerian ace would depend on ‘whether Osimhen wants to move to Stamford Bridge, having already agreed personal terms with PSG where he could replace Kylian Mbappe as the main man after the latter’s move to Real Madrid..

Osimhen helped Napoli to Serie A glory in 2023 with 26 goals in 32 league appearances.

Last season, the 25-year-old had a tougher campaign but still managed 17 goals in all competitions with the Blues keen on bolstering their attack.

However, with no Champions League football, Chelsea might not be as attractive a destination as PSG, who harbour ambitions of winning the tournament.

Conte omits Nigerian ace in friendly 

Romelu Lukaku is poised to become Napoli’s new star striker, waiting in the wings as Victor Osimhen’s potential departure looms. Since December, when Osimhen renewed his contract with a salary increase to €10 million per season, both the Nigerian striker and the club have been preparing for a summer move. Although the transfer to Paris Saint-Germain hasn’t materialized yet, there seems to be little chance of Osimhen remaining in Naples.

Lukaku is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to reunite with Antonio Conte, the manager who has brought out the best in him previously. According to TMW , the Belgian striker is already working with Conte’s training programs and instructions, preparing himself for the potential move to Napoli.

With the new season just two weeks away, Conte is keen to have his preferred striker in place. While he would have been happy to keep Osimhen, Lukaku represents the ideal successor in Conte’s eyes. The Napoli management still needs to reach an agreement with Chelsea, but this is not expected to be a significant hurdle.

Read Also: Saudi duo to bid for Osimhen amid  PSG stalled deal

The situation highlights the intricate dance of the transfer market, with Lukaku’s future tied to Osimhen’s potential move to PSG. 

Meanwhile, Conte last  night left Osimhen out and tests back three system in Napoli’s  pre-season friendly against Albanian side KF Egnatia.

In what  was  his third pre-season test in charge of the Partenopei, Conte went with a 3-4-2-1 system, but did  not include talisman Osimhen, who continues to be linked with a move away from the Stadio Maradona this season.

Walid Cheddira, who notched seven Serie A goals from 36 appearances while on loan with Frosinone last term, led  the Partenopei line in Osimhen’s absence.

With options fast drying up for Victor Osimhen, it has now been reported that top Saudi Arabian clubs Al Ahli and Al Hilal are now pulling all the stops to sign the Napoli striker.

Osimhen continues the pre-season with Napoli and will join the team in Castel Di Sangro for the second part of preparation while waiting for a move to PSG.

Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta claimed that a move to the French capital is now a priority for Osimhen. Tuttosport reported last week that the striker has already agreed personal terms with the club.

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However, the French giants must sell Gonçalo Ramos or Randal Kolo Muani before sending an official offer to Napoli. PSG are unlikely to pay the entire €130m clause, but Napoli will look for at least €100m.

Two clubs who can surely match Napoli’s demands are Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. According to Il Corriere dello Sport, both sides are waiting for the developments of PSG talks with Osimhen before making a formal bid.