Napoli’s new manager, Antonio Conte, has confirmed that the club will honour their agreement to sell Nigerian international Victor Osimhen this summer.
The 25-year-old forward has drawn significant interest from several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
Napoli agreed to let Osimhen leave this summer but are holding out for a team to meet his €130 million release clause. So far, this price tag has proven too steep for European clubs.
Following his appointment, Conte held meetings with several players, informing them they would not be allowed to leave. However, Osimhen’s situation is unique due to a pre-existing agreement, and Conte appears prepared to let the Super Eagles striker depart as promised.
Napoli have kept suitors at bay with their high asking price for the Nigerian international, while Osimhen shows little interest in moving to Saudi Arabia. This narrows his potential moves to Premier League heavyweights or Paris Saint-Germain.
Osimhen has expressed a clear desire to play in the Premier League, reinforcing his exit agreement with Napoli and limiting Conte’s influence over his stay in Naples.
Reports suggest that the Italian giants may be willing to consider offers in the region of €100 million for their in-demand attacker. In his first press conference as Napoli manager, Conte confirmed that several key players, including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, and Stanislav Lobotka, are not for sale. However, he did not provide a similar assurance regarding Osimhen.
“As far as Osimhen is concerned, just as I knew very well about the situation of Kvara, Di Lorenzo, Anguissa, and Lobotka, on which I have placed an absolute veto. Having said that, I know what the situation is regarding Osimhen. I know that there are agreements, that it is a situation different from all the others. I can only assist,” Conte stated.,
“He is a player of the highest level, exceptional, but I cannot enter into any discussion because it is part of previous agreements which have been clearly stated to me.”
Arsenal’s sporting director, Edu, has prioritised signing a world-class striker this summer after finishing just two points behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race last season.
Mikel Arteta’s current attacking duo, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, managed just nine goals between them last season. Nketiah has been rumoured to leave the Emirates Stadium in search of regular playing time.
Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for Osimhen but began exploring other options due to his release clause.
Chelsea are also looking to bring in a new attacker to partner with Nicolas Jackson, who had a mixed first season at Stamford Bridge. However, acquiring Osimhen would likely require the Blues to offload some of their existing players to avoid breaching Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules.
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