Chelsea-linked Victor Osimhen has two-footed his way into a war of words with the former Nigeria manager
According to journalist Matteo Moretto writing in his exclusive column for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing [subscription required], Napoli are mentally prepared for the exit of €130m striker Victor Osimhen having already started lining up replacements but there seems to be no movement from interested clubs like Chelsea and PSG.
Osimhen being linked with a move to Stamford Bridge is one of the worst-kept secrets in the last 18 months or so in world football. It has always seemed a question of when rather than if Osimhen will wear a Chelsea jersey. In recent months though, a bit of steam seems to be lost on the Nigerian’s desired move to West London.
Napoli seem to have braced themselves for the exit of the 25-year-old at the end of the season having already started to look at potential replacements, in contrast to Khvicha Kvaratshkelia, the Georgian sensation who they don’t expect to leave and will not be looking at replacements for.
The Serie A club are adamant that any buying club would have to fork out the €130m as a part of his release clause which seems to be a stumbling block for interested clubs. PSG and Chelsea are the ones that have been named at the moment but other Premier League clubs could join the race should Osimhen become available for a realistic fee.
One more reason why the hype might have died down surrounding Osimhen has been the fact that his injury-raven season has seen him score much less than what he did previously. 17 goals in 31 games is not a bad tally for a striker but not what a club would expect from someone they would have to pay in the nine figures for.
Speaking about Osimhen’s situation, here is what the La Liga and Serie A insider had to say about his potential exit and Chelsea’s chances in the summer.
“Napoli are looking for a forward this summer, because they know that Victor Osimhen will leave the club. They want to hold on to Kvaratskhelia as they do not want to lose them both, but they know Osimhen will leave.”
“Currently there are no clubs in negotiations though, or any firm contacts with Napoli. There are teams in the Premier League that are monitoring his situation, Chelsea being one of them, but I think that it could well be the case that others emerge too.”
“Regarding Paris Saint-Germain, they have Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos, and they will have to work out an exit for one of them before they can think about going for Osimhen. It’s a bit of a strange situation in all honesty, because Napoli know he will leave, but President Aurelio de Laurentiis wants a figure close to his €130m release clause, and there is no movement currently. At least from Napoli’s side of things, they have no knowledge that one club is further on with Osimhen than any other.”
The decision-makers at Chelsea need to make some tough calls this summer. They invested in Nicolas Jackson who seems to be settling into life in England after what was indeed a very tough initiation. The goals have started coming in recent weeks and he could only keep getting better if trusted ahead of next season. The arrival of Osimhen would directly affect Jackson’s development.
Signing Osimhen for such a high fee at the same time the club is trying to comply with PSR rules could mean that the Blues would be putting all their eggs in one basket ahead of next season. Being this early in their transitional cycle, such a signing is a luxury that the club could steer clear of. At this moment, signing a quality goalkeeper should be the priority.
Yes, Osimhen is young and has a really high ceiling but so does Jackson. He might have missed a ton of chances this season but things are likely to only go North from here on and the Blues must show some faith in him. They will also have the services of a fit Cristopher Nkunku to call upon. Let’s wait and hope that the Blues make a sensible call this summer.
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