Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has predicted that Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen will make an exit from Napoli in the summer of 2024.
Premier League clubs Chelsea and Arsenal have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old.
Arsenal sporting director Edu is believed to have already held talks with Napoli over the prospect of securing the striker’s services.
The Serie A champions are reluctant to part with the player. The Nigerian striker is a talismanic figure for Napoli, having fired them to a league title triumph last season and the club placed a £150m price tag on the forward.
However, as things stand, Osimhen’s current contract with the club is set to expire in just over 18 months and time is running out for the Naples-based outfit to agree new terms before he becomes a free agent.
According to Romano, Napoli are still desperate to convince Osimhen to commit his future to the club. However, they have been frustrated in their efforts to sway the player so far.
Writing in his Daily Briefing on Thursday, Romano stated, “Despite what Napoli are saying about Victor Osimhen and a new contract, I’m not sure they are that close to signing a new deal. Napoli president De Laurentiis has shown many times that he likes to use the media also to put some pressure, so it’s also normal.
“Napoli are trying, Napoli are trying with the best proposal in their history to Osimhen – it’s a higher salary than players like Cavani, Higuain and many others had in the recent years, so it’s a really big, big contract. But from what I’m hearing at the moment, there is still no full agreement in place with Osimhen.
“Napoli are pushing, Napoli are insisting, Napoli also improving their proposal, so they’re waiting for him. De Laurentiis is optimistic, but from what I’m hearing, it’s still not a done deal.
“In any case, I think the opportunity for Osimhen to leave in summer 2024 remains really, really concrete. As I always mention, I don’t see a January exit for the player, but I think the most likely solution is going to be a summer move and I’m not so sure that he’s going to sign a new deal.”
If Osimhen becomes available in the summer, there would surely be huge competition for the player’s signature, as he has proven himself to be an elite-level goalscorer.
Osimhen on Monday won the 2023 Italian Footballers’ Association Player of The Year award and is still in the race for the CAF African Footballer of the Year scheduled for December 11.
