Victor Osimhen remains one of the hottest striking properties in European football despite the fact that he’s just signed a contract extension with current club, Napoli.
The Nigerian played the fullest part in helping the Partnopei to win the Scudetto last season for the first time since the Diego Maradona era, and it was felt that Europe’s top clubs would then come calling.
Chelsea are known to be interested in the player’s services, though they’d need to shell out a cool €130m now that the new deal has been completed.
Even if Todd Boehly were to come up with such an offer for the 24-year-old next summer, it appears unlikely that Osimhen will move.
That’s because his agent, Roberto Calenda, has advanced that his client is perfectly happy in Naples.
“Victor is doing very well in Naples and wants to take the team as high as possible. He has always said it and backed it up on the pitch. We just closed an historic deal in the history of Italian football. Let’s enjoy it,” he said to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).
“I’ve heard that I didn’t want him to renew and that I’d rather take him elsewhere. It’s the usual blame game. It wasn’t true. I represent Victor and I want what’s best for him. We’ve both wanted a renewal since the summer.
“Last summer, plenty of offers arrived, some monstrous ones, but De Laurentiis wanted to keep Victor and we made ourselves available. If we wanted to leave, we would have said so.
“Instead, we worked, a lot, to get the renewal done. Next summer it will be the same.”
Whether his or his client’s stance will change once the 2023/24 season is over will be seen in due course, but it’s abundantly clear that, for now at least, Victor Osimhen will get back to doing what he does best.
As WhoScored note, he is enjoying another fine season despite injury, scoring seven and assisting two from 11 Serie A starts.
It’s that kind of form from a front man that Chelsea could do with right now, however, they could have to admit defeat in this one.