Napoli’s Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen celebrates after winning the Italian Serie A football match between Napoli and Juventus at the Diego-Maradona stadium
English top clubs, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea will meet with hot in demand Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen’s representatives this week, sources close to the Super Eagles’ star have revealed.
Osimhen, who led Serie A’s scorers’ chart last season with 31 goals in 39 games, is being pursued by a host of top European clubs, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG, as well as the three English sides.
He was instrumental to Napoli’s first Scudetto in 33 years and reports in Italy say the Neapolitans are reluctant to let their prized asset leave this season.
To entice Osimhen to stay, Napoli has made him the highest paid player in their ranks, but that has not stopped other clubs from trying to take him away.
To scare away the suitors, Napoli President, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has set an asking price of €150m (£129m) for the Nigerian.
Italian journalist, Sacha Tavolieri, claimed on Twitter at the weekend that Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea have ‘meetings planned with the entourage of the top scorer of #SerieA’. He said the meeting would define Osimhen’s destination this coming season.
According to football365.com, Napoli Sporting Director, Cristiano Giuntoli’s rumoured move to Juventus could also be a factor in deciding where Osimhen will play next season.
Quoting transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, football365.com said that Guintoli’s future will be ‘very important’ in deciding whether Osimhen can move to the Premier League and for what price.
“For Osimhen, it’s important to know that to understand the final price tag, what’s going to be crucial is to understand more about the Napoli manager,” Romano said, according to the website.
He added: “Because before they decide if they’re going to let him go or what price tag he will have, you have to pick the new manager and understand what’s going to happen with the director of football.
“The director of football is crucial to decide on these kinds of deals and Napoli still hasn’t clarified whether they will continue with their current or hire someone else.
“I think this is going to be very important in the final price tag. I see the rumours of 100m euros, but I’m told that’s absolutely not enough. Napoli will only sell the player if they can get a Serie A record.”
Quoting another journalist, Graeme Bailey, the website said Osimhen will probably end up at Chelsea this summer.
Bailey, it said, told the Chasing Podcast: “Osimhen, from what we hear is that it’s going to be hard for him to not go to Chelsea at this point.
“With Newcastle, they are asking the question about a lot of these players, that underlines that they don’t have a £75m budget.”
Osimhen is currently holidaying in Lagos after helping Super Eagles to a 3-2 defeat of Sierra Leone, which qualified Nigeria for next year’s African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
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