Chelsea are expected to hold complicated negotiations with former manager Antonio Conte despite their preference to sign Victor Osimhen this summer. The Napoli striker has been strongly connected to the London club as well as many other European giants, having scored 48 goals for Serie A. appearance in the last two seasons.
He has taken root in the club’s folklore in the 2022/23 campaign, with his 26 league goals helping his club win their first domestic title in 33 years.
In December, amid speculation about his future, he signed a new contract with the club; allegedly, it was intended to be a guarantee to prevent Napoli from squandering it on a cut-price deal with a £115m buyout clause inserted.
But according to HITC, that value has deterred Chelsea from making a decision. The Premier League club has reportedly informed Napoli that it is not in a position to enforce the clause, with owner Aurelio De Laurentiis reluctant to sell for less.
This progression comes the same week in which it was shown that Antonio Conte would take over from the Italian club. The 54-year-old controlled two seasons at Stamford Bridge between 2016 and 2018, earning a Premier League name in his first season in charge. However, despite winning the FA Cup in his second campaign, he left under difficult circumstances.
Chelsea, who are preparing to confirm Leicester manager Enzo Maresca as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor, are unabashedly looking for a new striker. Nicolas Jackson has been suffering since his departure from Villarreal and Romelu Lukkau is expected to leave the club for good this summer.
But after the generous spending of owner Todd Boehly, the London club is also compliant with Financial Fair Play rules and will have to sell players before spending more than three figures on a single transfer deal.
Now, PSG are the favourites to sign Nigerian striker Osimhen. The Parisian giants are in the midst of a rebuild, with Kylian Mbappe confirming that he has played his last game for the club, and the striker is set to sign. for Real Madrid this month.
But the Ligue 1 champions would also be put off by the price. Saudi Pro League bosses are also connected given that deal finances would be an issue, but at 25, Osimhen is unlikely to need to move to the Middle East at the start of his career.
His long career was the subject of intense speculation in September after a dispute with his club over a social media post. After missing a penalty, he mocked through Napoli’s official accounts, and the club was later forced to apologise.
“On social media, and especially on TikTok, expressive language is used in a joyful and playful way. In this case of Victor, there is no target of mockery or ridicule,” he said in a statement. Very offended, not at all. the objectives of the club.
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