Napoli president admits ‘unhappy’ Osimhen may not renew with EPL clubs ready to swoop

Oct 20, 2023 - 07:28

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen’s future at Napoli seems more uncertain than ever after president Aurelio De Laurentiis dropped several hints the striker’s ‘mood has changed’ and made comparisons with Kalidou Koulibaly’s sale.

There were reports on Thursday that Liverpool had joined the race to sign Osimhen, who will be out of contract in June 2025 and has still not agreed a new deal.

It was also suggested that agent Roberto Calenda was spotted meeting with Napoli directors Maurizio Micheli and Mauro Meluso.

De Laurentiis made comments about the striker that suggest things are not going well after they had seemed so close to an agreement over the summer.

“I have never not been calm when it comes to Osimhen, but it takes two to tango. I remain the same, if his mood has changed, then there’s not much I can do about that. If after a handshake things change, that is disappointing, we take it into account, but life goes on.

“We have a good rapport with him, the contract runs to 2025, so there is time. Don’t forget I sold Koulibaly at the last minute.”

Koulibaly was a Napoli icon but was sold to Chelsea when down to the final months of his contract.

While Osimhen was irritated by the TikTok videos that the official club website posted a few weeks ago, it is also true that Napoli are frustrated by yet another injury sustained on international duty with Nigeria.

“Since 2013 we have received a total of circa €4m in reimbursement for the participation of our players in international games, despite the fact there were always at least 10 players called up,” explained De Laurentiis.

“This is no good. I think international duty should only be for players of a maximum of 22 years, so it gives them good practice and visibility. I also believe the clubs should be allowed to decide whether to release their players, especially if it is a friendly.

“If I paid €50m for a player and he returns injured, they ought to reimburse the club for the cost of every day he is out of action. Just think about Neymar.”

Meanwhile, Calenda was spotted having dinner near Naples with Napoli directors Micheli and Meluso.

The plans are to discuss the new contract or the next step in Osimhen’s career but Chelsea are prepared to go all out to sign Napoli striker Osimhen, with a January deal possible.

It claims that Chelsea’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, are ready to move “heaven and earth” to bring Osimhen to Stamford Bridge.

It will not be an easy deal to complete, though, with TEAMtalk also stating that Napoli wants £140m for their talisman.

However, the same outlet says a deal in the January transfer window is not impossible.

Boehly and Co have not been afraid to spend big at Chelsea, so it would not be a surprise to see them go all out for Osimhen in the new year.

It was only during the summer when the Blues spent £115m to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion, as reported by Sky Sports.

Last season, Osimhen scored 31 goals in all competitions for Napoli and helped Gli Azzurri win their first Serie A title in 33 years.

If Chelsea signs the Nigeria international and he does something similar at Stamford Bridge, then he could be well worth the money.

Should the Blues decide that they want a cheaper option, though, then they could move for Brentford’s Ivan Toney instead. The 27-year-old is being heavily linked with a move to Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

According to the Evening Standard, Toney could cost something closer to £80m.

Whether it is Osimhen or Toney, we think Chelsea definitely do need to sign a new center-forward