Victor Osimhen’s request to leave the Italian club has been confirmed by Napoli director Giovanni Manna, giving Chelsea a significant advantage in their pursuit of the Nigerian striker, according to The Punch.
The Blues have reached an agreement to sign Samuel Omorodion from Atletico Madrid, but they still desperately need a striker who can consistently score goals for them, so they are still interested in signing Osimhen from Napoli.
Osimhen, 25, is reportedly near the top of their wish list to start at center for them in the 2024–2025 campaign.
Born in Lagos, the striker has become one of Europe’s most sought-after players after stellar seasons with Napoli. Moves to Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG, Manchester United, and Liverpool have all been rumored.
The only European team still interested in signing him is the Blues, as PSG withdrew their interest in the Nigerian player. However, his substantial €130 million release clause has deterred many potential suitors.
Osimhen was not present for Napoli’s match on Saturday night at the Stadio Maradona against Modena in the Coppa Italia first round.
The Nigerian made his only appearance in an Azzurri shirt during the team’s 0-0 draw with Lecce on the last day of the 2023–24 Serie A season. He has not appeared in any of Napoli’s preseason games.
Regarding Osimhen’s circumstances, Manna stated that the striker wanted to leave the team and was not a part of Antonio Conte’s plan.
“Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the club,” the club’s director said.
“He wants to go. The situation is clear; there were already chances for his exit last summer. Victor wants to leave. We will see in the next 20 days.”
“Victor is a player who wants to leave, and last year there was already a situation in place. We are calm because we have players in the squad ready to replace him.
“While Osimhen is a formidable player, our priorities are preserving the group’s unity and maintaining its integrity. But we will see what happens over the next 20 days.”
In light of this development, Napoli may speak with Chelsea as the 2022–23 Serie A winners are interested in acquiring Romelu Lukaku from Stamford Bridge.
Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, has rejected the possibility of a swap or a loan deal this season. Nevertheless, the striker might have to accept Chelsea’s demands if he wants to leave Napoli as soon as possible.
Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille in the 2020 summer for a club record fee of €70m plus another €10m in bonuses.
With 26 league goals in 2022–23, the former Wolfsburg player earned the top scorer award and led the Parthenopeans to their first Scudetto in over thirty years. He has been playing at the highest level for the Parthenopeans for the past two seasons.
