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Victor Osimhen’s future is currently in limbo as Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are not willing to sign him from Napoli.
Coming into the summer, Victor Osimhen would not have envisaged that he would still be a Napoli player with less than a month before the transfer window shuts.
Osimhen's current situation at Napoli
The Super Eagles star was tipped to be one of the most sought after players in the transfer market this summer.
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16:58 - 05.08.2024
Chelsea abandon Osimhen pursuit, table ₦87 billion for another Super Eagles-eligible star
Victor Osimhen's chances of joining Chelsea this season have taken a significant blow as the Blues target another Nigeria-eligible striker
Reports linking him away from Napoli have been circulating since last summer after leading Napoli to their first league title in 33 years.
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Osimhen was linked to clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich last summer after scoring 31 goals in all competitions, including 26 goals that helped him win The Capocannoniere award in the 2022/2023 Serie A season.
But despite the demand for him last summer, Osimhen stayed at Napoli, signing a one-year contract extension with a €130m release clause.
However, it was believed that the release clause would allow him to leave this summer, provided a club triggered the release clause.
While €130m is a lot even in today’s inflated market, the consensus is that it is not too much for a player of Osimhen’s quality.
Even though he did not hit the heights of the 2022/2023 campaign last season, scoring 15 league goals in 25 appearances last season, Osimhen remains one of the best strikers in the world.
However, two months have passed since last season ended, and Osimhen is still at Napoli this summer.
It is clear that the Nigerian wants to leave Napoli this summer, with the club also in line with his decision.
In fact, he is not in coach Antonio Conte’s plans as the Italian tactician wants Romelu Lukaku to lead his attack.
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But Napoli have not been able to get Lukaku because Osimhen is still at the club. It is important to note that there has been interest in Osimhen, with Chelsea and PSG leading the race.
However, both clubs have failed to get the deal done and will likely pass up on him, leading to the question of how Osimhen found himself in this situation.
Why is Osimhen not important to Chelsea or PSG?
There are a lot of issues stopping Osimhen from leaving Napoli at this moment but they are all related in one way.
For starters, the release clause is proving to be a stumbling block as neither Chelsea nor PSG are willing to pay Osimhen’s €130m release clause.
While it may be true that the price tag is not too much for a player of Osimhen’s quality, Chelsea and PSG believe they do not need to spend that amount on a player who plays a position where they do not really need reinforcement.
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PSG, for example, spent €100m on Randal Kolo-Muani last season and will not pay another hefty fee for a striker.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have Nicolas Jackson and are close to signing Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion, meaning they are not going to spend another huge sum on a striker.
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PSG would have signed Osimhen had Napoli reduced his price, but Aurelio De Laurentiis would not bulge.
Chelsea also considered swapping Romelu Lukaku for the Nigerian on a loan deal, with an option to buy.
However, that move has not materialised as Osimhen is not ready to accept a wage cut. The Nigerian striker is also not interested in the loan deal, which is why Lukaku has yet to link up with Conte in Naples.
Osimhen would not have faced all these issues if it was last summer as the likes of PSG, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Arsenal were all in the market for a striker.
In hindsight, it looked like the Super Eagles star overplayed his cards by signing a one-year extension and accepting the release clause.
Yes, Osimhen would not have known that clubs would not want to pay €130m for a player of his quality.
However, he could have avoided this stalemate if he had not signed the contract. The Nigerian star’s original contract was supposed to end in 2025, meaning Napoli would have been forced to sell for a reasonable price if he had not signed the contract extension.
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10:44 - 06.08.2024
Maresca finally confirms Chelsea's main striker for the new season amid Osimhen links
Chelsea new boss Enzo Maresca has revealed his main sriker for the upcoming season.
But his decision to sign the new contract gives Napoli the leverage, and this has not helped his quest to leave the club.
There is still time for the ex-Lille man, though, as the transfer window is still open. However, if Osimhen is to leave Napoli this summer, he will need to accept a wage cut or Napoli will have to reduce his price tag.
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