Chelsea and Liverpool have been dealt a serious blow in their efforts to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, with the player himself playing down speculation linking him with an exit from the club.
Osimhen has been one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe since his arrival from Lille in 2020, and he was the subject of intense interest from a number of top clubs throughout the summer transfer window.
However, Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis refused to budge on his £100m valuation of the player, and Osimhen ultimately remained in Naples.
Despite entering the final two years of his contract, Osimhen has insisted that he is happy at Napoli and has no plans to leave the club anytime soon. He has also expressed his admiration for the Serie A, describing it as “one of the most difficult leagues to play in.”Osimhen’s agent has also recently threatened legal action against Napoli over two inexplicable TikTok videos from the club that appeared to mock the striker. However, the matter has since been resolved privately.
Napoli sporting director Mauro Meluso has also ruled out a January exit for Osimhen, saying that the squad is “very large and leaves us calm.”Chelsea are now reportedly considering cooling their interest in Osimhen due to the player’s recent hamstring injury, which is expected to keep him out of action for a few weeks at least.Instead, the Blues could now prioritise their pursuit of Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who may be on the move in January once his eight-month betting ban comes to an end. However, Chelsea may have to fend off interest from Arsenal to secure the England international’s signature.Overall, it seems that Osimhen is likely to remain at Napoli for the foreseeable future. Chelsea and Liverpool will have to wait until next summer at the earliest if they are to make a serious move for the Nigerian striker.
