Despite recently agreeing to a new deal in December, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has stated that star striker Victor Osimhen will depart the team in the summer.
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Osimhen, who assisted the Italian team in winning Serie A the previous season, is among the most sought-after forwards in the world.
In the last year, clubs from all across the country have shown a great deal of interest in him, and he will now spend his last half of the season in Naples.
Speaking earlier this week, he had previously suggested that the Premier League might be his next stop. He did not disclose the location of his football career, but he did drop a strong implication that a move is imminent.
He informed CBS, “I’ve already decided what I’m going to do after the season.” “I’ve already made my decision. I already know what I want to do and what my next course of action is; I have a plan.”
Because both Arsenal and Chelsea need a new center-forward, Osimhen is a top target, but a mid-season transfer has never been expected.
Since the 25-year-old is currently in Ivory Coast for the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria, a pre-agreement before the summer has been viewed as much more likely, and his president has given an update on what’s to come.
He said, “This was already known since this summer; if it hadn’t been friendly, our negotiations [over the new contract] would not have taken as long.” “We anticipated that he would join one of the top English clubs, Real Madrid, or PSG.”
Last year, he turned down an invitation to play in the Saudi Pro League and reiterated his intention to play in England in response to rumours that he would be moving to the Middle East. Now that the striker merry-go-round is about to begin and Kylian Mbappe is also getting ready for a significant move, this most recent information on Osimihen has raised red flags.
Osimhen’s signing of an extension seemed to solidify his position at Napoli, but it now seems more like a negotiation tactic.
According to the Italian media, he has a contract clause that allows him to be sold for approximately £113 million.
In the current state of European football financing, a contract that large is not feasible, but it might be on the table come summertime.
