Victor Osimhen scores incredible goal for Lille OSC
Arsenal and Chelsea have been hit with a frustrating blow in their reported pursuits of striker Victor Osimhen. The Napoli star is now on the verge of renewing his contract, according to club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, which could take him off the market in the January transfer window.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and his Chelsea counterpart, Mauricio Pochettino, are believed to have placed Osimhen at the top of their respective transfer wish lists. The 24-year-old fired Napoli to the Serie A title last term and his 31-goal haul made him one of the most prolific forwards in Europe.
However, De Laurentiis has taken a sledgehammer to the two clubs’ transfer aspirations by revealing that an agreement with the Nigerian is on the verge of being struck.
During an event in Naples, De Laurentiis told reporters: “With Osimhen, we are about to sign the contract that was pending this summer.”
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According to reports, the new long-term deal will include a release clause worth just under £130million. But that may not be enough to offer Chelsea and Arsenal hope in January, or even the summer, as it is currently unclear when that clause would come into effect.
It looked as though Osimhen would be leaving Napoli when relations deteriorated earlier this season. Osimhen’s lawyer threatened legal action after a peculiar video mocking the striker was posted to social media by the Azzurri.
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Making his senior breakthrough at Wolfsburg, the Nigeria international spent one season each in Belgium and France before landing at Napoli in 2020 for a total package worth up to £70m, making him the most expensive African player ever at the time.
Chelsea and the Gunners will be thankful to have contingency plans in place as the Premier League duo are both believed to be keeping tabs on Ivan Toney with a view to a permanent transfer.
Brentford will reportedly demand £80m for the striker, who has been sidelined through suspension this season after breaching the FA’s betting regulations.
Toney racked up 20 Premier League goals last campaign, leaving him behind only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in the division’s 2022/23 scoring charts.
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