Chelsea target Victor Osimhen will be leaving Napoli, according to president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
The Nigerian international has been in sensational form for Napoli since arriving from Lille in 2020, scoring in excess of a goal every other game for the Serie A club, and told CBS that he had ‘already made up [his mind]’ about his future this summer amid links to the Premier League – despite having only just signed a new deal in Naples.
He modestly said: "I think 60% of everyone are arguing, or the rumour is going around about me [being] linked [with] the Premier League, but when you are one of the hottest strikers in the globe, you play this type of thing.
“Of course, the EPL is one of the biggest leagues in the whole world. Now I'm with Napoli, I signed a new contract, I'm enjoying my time there, going through it with the team.
"At the end of the season, I think I already made up my mind. I already know what I wanna do with my career, since I've started, I've been the one taking my own decision and everything is working out well for me. Even though when I started it, it didn't go so well as planned.
“But I already have my plan, I already know what I want to do, the next step I want to take. So for now I just want to finish the season strong, go relax somewhere with my daughter, and then finally come up with the decision I've already made.”
Now, De Laurentiis has named Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or a 'top' Premier League club as his destination.
“This was already known since this summer, our negotiations were friendly, otherwise it would not have been so long,” he said. “We knew he would go to Real Madrid, PSG or a top English club.”
Agent Paolo Palermo has reportedly said on Twitch, of all places, that he expects Osimhen to be available only to an elite clutch of clubs who are capable of paying the kind of fee Napoli would expect to command.
As relayed by FootballTransfers.com, Palermo said: “I think someone has already joined [the race]; I think Chelsea. Those who can spend €120-130 million are Chelsea, [Man] City, [Man] United and Liverpool…I don’t think Arsenal.
“Tottenham could also do it but they have a salary cap of €6-7m; Osimhen already earns €10m.”
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