Napoli have slapped a £150 million price tag on 24-year-old Victor Osimhen amidst interest from the Premier League.
The Nigerian has not hidden his desire to play in England in the course of his career but is currently focused on helping the Partenopei become a force in Italy and Europe.
As a result, he is having the best goal-scoring form of the season among players in Europe’s top five leagues and is only second to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the race for the European golden shoe. His goals also see him sit comfortably at the top of the Serie A scoring charts.
These efforts have put Napoli in prime position for their first top flight title in over three decades and is helping them make inroads in their quest to become European champions for the first time in their 97-year long history. Osimhen’s efforts have also not gone unnoticed by the top clubs in Europe, who have begun to hover around the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona in hopes of prying him away from the Serie A club.
Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea are the two leading clubs in the race for the Nigerian striker’s signature.
The ex-RSC Charleroi forward grew up watching both teams in Lagos, Nigeria, and has admitted to wanting to play like Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba, who made his name at Stamford Bridge playing for Chelsea. No official bids have been tabled from both clubs as yet, but the interest could be a distraction for the former Wolfsburg striker.
Man United are currently relying on the talents of Wout Weghorst, who they signed on loan from Turkish side Besiktas in the January transfer window. They are unlikely to keep him past his loan, which means they are ready to go into the market this summer for a number 9.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have missed with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who they signed from Barcelona in the summer and are reportedly considering terminating his contract in the summer. They have Romelu Lukaku out on loan in Italy but the relationship between the Belgian and the club is frayed and information suggests he may never return to West London as a player.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has had to deal with interested clubs looking to pry his ace away from him but managed to keep him. The Italian businessman hopes to keep him until the expiration of his contract in 2025 at least.
However, he is willing to listen to clubs who have £150 million to spend in the summer and will take no calls with offers that are even slightly lesser than that amount, according to Italian outlet Il Mattino.
