He was never going to be a cheap hire, but Victor Osimhen’s expected sale price from Napoli would likely set a new record for an English club were either Chelsea or Arsenal to firm up their interest in the hit-man.
The 24-year-old Nigerian has long been coveted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and no wonder.
He already has seven goals in 13 Serie A games in 2023/24 despite being partly missing through injury, per transfermarkt.
That follows on from the previous two campaigns when he hit 14 in 27 Italian top-flight games in 21/22, and then a remarkable 26 in 32 matches last season, as Napoli took the Scudetto for the first time since the Diego Maradona era.
It’s obvious why the Partnopei would be loathe to lose him, so with that in mind, they’ve ensured they’ll get a best price for their striker by getting him to extend his current contract until 2026.
“Speaking of contracts, Victor Osimhen’s Napoli deal is also done. The documents have been signed and his contract has been extended from 2025 to 2026,” Fabrizio Romano said in his exclusive Daily Briefing for CaughtOffisde.
“One more season at Napoli so not a long term deal, but it will help Napoli to handle his future.”
The new deal doesn’t necessarily mean he will still be at the club past next summer either, it just allows Napoli to set the bar financially rather than losing him for a fraction of what he’s worth.
“Victor Osimhen still has a very good chances to leave the club in 2024 – his release clause is in the region of €130m – but not in January unless something completely crazy happens,” Romano added.
Even at that price, there are sure to be many suitors – including the Premier League London rivals – for a player that’s as close to a guarantee of goals in European football as it’s possible to be at present.
“The interest from Chelsea and Arsenal remains, and let’s see if other clubs will join the race to buy the player next summer,” Romano concluded.