‘Napoli may sell Osimhen €120m next summer’

Victor Osimhen’s suitors have received a boost in their plans to sign the Napoli man as transfer insider, Ben Jacobs, believes that clubs could sign the Nigerian striker for €120m in the summer.

English Premier League club Chelsea amidst a host of other elite clubs are looking for a new striker and have their eyes on the 24-year-old. Osimhen is expected to leave Napoli next summer in the wake of a social media controversy as his contract negotiations drag on.

Osimhen is highly rated in the European circuit and has a huge fee on his head. However, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs said that the Nigerian’s price tag could drop if he doesn’t sign a new deal with the Serie A champions before the end of the current campaign.

“The indications have always been from Napoli sources that it is very unlikely he will be available in January. So then Chelsea, like others I suppose, face a conundrum do you move in January or do you wait for Osimhen in the summer?

‘Napoli may sell Osimhen €120m next summer’
22nd November 2023
Napoli Osimhen
By
Peter Akinbo
Victor Osimhen’s suitors have received a boost in their plans to sign the Napoli man as transfer insider, Ben Jacobs, believes that clubs could sign the Nigerian striker for €120m in the summer.

English Premier League club Chelsea amidst a host of other elite clubs are looking for a new striker and have their eyes on the 24-year-old. Osimhen is expected to leave Napoli next summer in the wake of a social media controversy as his contract negotiations drag on.

Osimhen is highly rated in the European circuit and has a huge fee on his head. However, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs said that the Nigerian’s price tag could drop if he doesn’t sign a new deal with the Serie A champions before the end of the current campaign.

“The indications have always been from Napoli sources that it is very unlikely he will be available in January. So then Chelsea, like others I suppose, face a conundrum do you move in January or do you wait for Osimhen in the summer?

“And I think if Chelsea feel like they could get Osimhen then they would wait. By next summer, the price will have dropped a little bit unless, obviously, Osimhen signs any kind of new deal at Napoli,” said Jacobs.

Osimhen’s contract with Napoli expires in 2025, but he hasn’t agreed an extension yet. The Italian giants reportedly want €160m for the 24-year-old, which Jacobs believes is negotiable.

“Aurelio De Laurentiis has always tried for about €150m or €160m, and the reason for that is because he argues they paid Lille €80m for the player. And I’d say he argues that because the numbers are a bit contentious. It includes the payment upfront, which was maybe €50m, plus bonuses, plus player swaps,” said Jacobs.

“That is how Napoli calculated the deal is worth €80m, and therefore De Laurentiis has always argued in the past because of Osimhen’s form and I think he was eighth in the Ballon d’Or rankings, they need double that number, which if they got it would be €160m. Flash forward to next summer, the number will be more like €120m in likelihood, which is about £100m, and in the current market for a player like Osimhen, that is going to tempt quite a few clubs. Chelsea included.”

Amid speculation surrounding his future, Osimhen has made a fine start to the 2023/24 season, scoring six goals in eight Serie A appearances before being sidelined with an injury.

In the final stages of his recovery, the Nigeria international is focused on being fit for the clash against Atalanta on November 25 or at least the Champions League game against Real Madrid four days later.