Nigeria international and Napoli sensation Victor Osimhen is at a crossroads in his footballing career. The 2022-23 Serie A top scorer and Scudetto winner has yet to find a new club after being frozen off the Napoli squad for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Osimhen is a complete package of a typical football striker, who knows his game to the brim. His pace, strength, insane shooting skills, and ultimately incredible goal-scoring prowess have not gone unnoticed.
However, an uncanny transfer saga could erode the gains of the reigning African Footballer of the Year. Where did it go wrong? Stay tuned as we dive into the footballers’ dragging transfer saga and the way forward.
Victor Osimhen’s Serie A title win and new contract
Victor Osimhen was the protagonist in Napoli’s record-breaking Serie A triumph in the 2022-23 season. A career-defining run with the Neapolitans saw the Nigeria forward score a league-leading 26 goals in 32 Serie A matches. His showstopping performances fired the Gil Azzurri to a gallant title-winning finish, ending their 33-year-old wait for the Scudetto.
Five months after the milestone triumph, Napoli deemed it necessary to tie the player down to a new contract. In December 2023, Osimhen penned a new contract extension with the Serie A giants
Meanwhile, he was garnering interest from top European clubs following his standout performances for Napoli.
Premier League clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, including Arsenal were all linked to the new revelational striker. Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, including Ligue 1 giants PSG were also a big mention in the race for the Nigeria international.
Napoli’s new contract for the former Lille forward came amidst the waves of interest from suitors. It was common knowledge that the new contract was not to deter interest from potential suitors but to allow Napoli cash in on the player when the right offer comes.
A key element in Osimhen’s new contract to attest to this was the new release clause. Under the aegis of the club’s chief administrator, Aurelio de Laurentiis, the club slammed a €130m release clause on the player.
The beginning of the problem
Before the 2023-24 football season ended, clubs began to step up their interest in Osimhen with others bowing out of the race as well.
We reportedly that Manchester United withdrew from the race due to the sky-high release clause. United opted to settle for a €70million deal with Atalanta for Dutch striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Bayern Munich signed Harry Kane for €100million from Tottenham Hotspur. Before switching to Harry Kane, Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness expressed the club’s admiration for Victor Osimhen but added they would not pay €130million for the player.
“Bayern Munich doesn’t go along with that if the numbers of up to €130million are correct,” Hoeness told t-online.de.
With Manchester United and Bayern Munich out of the picture, Chelsea and PSG were still standing with potent interest in the player.
Victor Osimhen transfer saga with PSG and Chelsea
According to Fabrizio Romano, Osimhen had agreed terms with PSG to join the club. Salary and contract duration were settled but the move was later stalled.
PSG reportedly refused to proceed with negotiations with Napoli after the club refused to budge on their €130 million valuation. Following the PSG deadlock, Chelsea emerged into the scene with a keen interest in the forward. Also, the Blues were reportedly not ready to pay Osimhen’s €130m release.
However, there was a potential shortcut for the London outfit. Napoli wanted to sign their out-of-favor striker Romelu Lukaku. So, Chelsea had hoped to negotiate a player-plus-cash swap deal for the Osimhen but still on a condition of the release clause being pecked down.
TEAMtalk claims the five times Premier League winners were ready to include Romelu Lukaku and Cesare Casadei in the deal for Osimhen. Napoli, on the other hand, were also ready for talks with for the swap deal but no progress has been recorded so far.
Some reports have claimed a loan option could be explored by Chelsea for Osimhen but the report was debunked by Osimhen’s camp. The player’s agent Roberto Calenda said the footballer would only agree to a loan move with an ”obligation to buy’ not a ‘buy option.’ Meanwhile, Italy football journalist Matteo Moretto claims Napoli have decided to proceed with talks for Lukaku despite setbacks on the Osimhen deal.
What is next for Osimhen?
Italian outlet Calciomercato reports that Napoli are considering reducing their asking price (release clause) following the recent deadlock in the Osimhen transfer.
Also, the player has reportedly submitted a transfer request to the club, asking to leave. Osimhen’s transfer request came after he did not make a single appearance in any of Napoli’s pre-season matches ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
The striker is ready to leave Napoli and the club is ready to sell. The ball is now in Napoli’s court to peck down their asking price for the player for a deal to happen.
