The agent of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has labelled rumours that the striker could be loaned out this season as “fake news” as the Nigerian star continues to be linked with a move to PSG and Chelsea.
The 25-year-old looks set to leave Naples before the current transfer window shuts having spent the last four years in Italy.
Osimhen has been a crucial player for Napoli across the 133 games he has featured in, scoring 76 goals alongside a further 18 assists. The striker’s 26 Serie A goals during the 2022/23 campaign fired the Naples-based club to the league title in Italy and it is this season that has laid the foundations for the interest in the player this summer.
The Nigeria international has a £113m release clause in his current contract and that seems to be too much for the interested parties.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Napoli are looking for solutions for Osimhen as they want to bring in Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku as a replacement as soon as possible.
The striker has already said yes to a PSG move but it remains to be seen if that is the same for Chelsea. The transfer journalist states that Napoli could also be open to including Osimhen as part of a deal for Lukaku, which would be the easiest way around the problem.
One thing that will not be happening is a loan move for the 25-year-old.
Reports have emerged this week that Osimhen could potentially join Chelsea as part of an initial loan deal but this has been shut down by the striker’s agent Roberto Calenda.
“I read about ‘fantasy exchanges’ with Victor… as if he was a package to be delivered quickly,” Calenda stated via Fabrizio Romano. “This package is the top scorer of the third Scudetto in the history of Napoli.
“Respect and stop fake news!”.
The battle for Osimhen is starting to heat up but Chelsea may have an advantage over everyone else as the Blues can play the Romelu Lukaku card to help convince Napoli to part ways with their star man.
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