da betsson： Chelsea are said to be back in the transfer hunt for Victor Osimhen, but Napoli will only sell if a “very big” release clause is triggered.
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Nigerian striker starring in ItalyExtended contract in DecemberLinked with a move to EnglandWHAT HAPPENED?
The Nigeria international striker has established a reputation as one of the most fearsome frontmen in world football. He has hit 72 goals through 122 appearances for Napoli and inspired them to Serie A title glory in 2022-23.
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There has been talk of Paris Saint-Germain lining him up as a possible replacement for Kylian Mbappe, while former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel is trying to talk his fellow countryman into making a move to Stamford Bridge – allowing him to follow in the footsteps of iconic figures such as Didier Drogba.
WHAT DE LAURENTIIS SAID ABOUT OSIMHEN
Napoli are aware of the interest, but club president Aurelio De Laurentiis has made it clear that any suitors will need to dig deep in order to get a deal done. He has told : "Victor is another good player that Napoli have. We had (Edinson) Cavani, (Gonzalo) Higuain, (Ezequiel) Lavezzi and we had (Dries) Mertens, we had a lot of people who were fantastic. And there are others who are attracted by Real Madrid, by Paris Saint-Germain, by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea. So you cannot stop them, especially when they have a fixed amount of money where they can be bought. Osimhen is a very great player — but you know Napoli is a fantastic place.
"There are certain players who fell in love with Napoli and stayed, like (Marek) Hamsik for 11 years. Or like others for eight years. He has a release clause. It’s a very big amount of money. Who knows who will leave, we will see. The money is the last problem for Napoli. We always made very good acquisitions as we did in the past. We will do (so) in the future. The problem is just sentimental problems. When you see a player leave, it’s like a son. You are also happy if this son has fantastic success everywhere else."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR OSIMHEN?
Osimhen signed a one-year extension to his current contract in December, taking him through to 2026. Those terms are said to include a £113 million ($143m) release clause, with Chelsea being made aware that he will take an offer of that size in order to acquire another proven No.9.