Sometimes a footballer can pretty much be on the market, seem to be keen on a transfer, have all the necessary skills required, but still not have a huge group of clubs trying to secure him.
That’s the case with Victor Osimhen right now. The Napoli superstar has scored 15 goals and contributed four assists in 28 matches so far this season. His appearances have been limited due to AFCON and a couple of injuries.
He’s been surrounded by transfer stories but not quite as ferocious as one may expect, and as far as the Italian media are concerned it’s a two horse race right now… between Chelsea and PSG.
Chelsea have been linked with Osimhen for years, and his desire to play in the Premier League, and that Didier Drogba is a massive hero of his, helps encourage the idea of a move to Stamford Bridge.
CalcioNapoli24 carry words from today’s Il Mattino, and the Napoli newspaper says that from the Premier League it’s ‘Chelsea in the lead’, but they don’t name any other English clubs and this has very much been a Chelsea and PSG thing for a while.
There’s potentially a good reason that such a good player isn’t having a rush of clubs beating his door down, and that’s Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
He’s notoriously difficult to deal with and has priced stars out of big moves repeatedly.
Kalidou Koulibaly is an example, De Laurentiis wanted something around €100m, waited too long, scared too many away, and ended up getting less than €40m from Chelsea.
There’s the danger he could push his luck again with Osimhen. Whilst the forward’s goal return this year is good, it’s not the title-winning 31 goals he got during the last campaign.
If Napoli don’t sell this summer, another campaign is hit by injuries, and Osimhen gets closer to his contract expiry of 2026, then rolling the transfer dice may again backfire.
Many clubs clearly don’t want to get involved at this stage, with PSG and Chelsea repeatedly the only two named.
Negotiations should be fun, with De Laurentiis believing he can ask for the player’s €120m clause.
