Victor Osimhen is reportedly set to sign a new contract with Napoli which will see the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea miss out on the striker.
According to Sky Italia, Napoli and Osimhen are close to finalising a new contract after several rounds of talks with the player’s agent, Roberto Calenda. But the release clause remains a point of contention. While the club wants the figure to be around €200 million (£171m/$219m), Osimhen’s entourage wants a lower fee and a settlement could be reached at around €150m (£128m/$164m).
The Nigerian’s current contract with the Serie A champions ends in 2025 and it has been reported that he will commit at least one more season to the current deal. During the meetings with Calenda, most of the talks circled around his wages and the release clause and it is now believed that the striker is now closer than ever to signing the extension.
If Osimhen indeed signs the extension, the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain will have to look at options elsewhere. A couple of weeks earlier, Calenda had dismissed reports of potential issues over a new contract with Napoli and president Aurelio De Laurentiis has always been bullish in his confidence that the striker will stay at the club despite interest from some of the biggest names in Europe.
Napoli are on the verge of securing Osimhen’s signature amid interest from other clubs.
The striker was instrumental in their quest for the Scudetto last season as the 24-year-old scored 26 goals and provided four assists during the campaign. It is undoubtedly a huge boost to their Serie A title-defence ambitions which they secured after an excruciating wait of 33 years.
