Arsenal have overtaken Chelsea in the race to sign prolific Nigerian and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen, who recently signed a new one-year extension contract with Napoli, has been linked to a move away from the club in the summer.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed Victor Osimhen will leave the club at the end of the season with interests from Premier League clubs and Ligue 1 giants PSG.
“Osimhen will play for another club in the summer. We’ve known this, hence the decision of the club to secure a new deal with him,” Aurelio De Laurentiis said.
Aurelio’s affirmation came weeks after he tied down the player to a new contract with a new release clause in excess of £100m.
Osimhen’s new contract with Napoli came amid reports linking him to a summer exit from the Serie A side. Hence, Napoli’s decision to tie him down to a new deal was seen as a ploy to have the club take control of the negotiation process with potential suitors in the summer.
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Chelsea have been on the trail of Osimhen as the Blues seek to elicit their attack in the summer and provide a competitor to wanting striker Nicolas Jackson.
They have been strongly linked with the player and were reportedly ready to break the bank to sign the player.
However, a report shared by Teamtalk has revealed the Blues have now been overtaken by Premier League and London rivals Arsenal in the race to sign Victor Osimhen.
The report reads;
“Arsenal have moved ahead of Chelsea in the race to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
“The Nigerian striker would understandably prefer a move to the Gunners ahead of the Blues.”
🚨 Arsenal have moved ahead of Chelsea in the race to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
The Nigerian striker would understandably prefer a move to the Gunners ahead of the Blues. 🇳🇬
(Source: TEAMtalk) pic.twitter.com/gnI0IPAXkb
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) March 15, 2024
Ligue 1 giants PSG, who are vigorously scouring the market to replace outbound Kylian Mbappe, are also said to be ahead of Chelsea in the race for Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen has shared in Napoli’s less-than-stellar Serie A campaign this season with a falling goal tally than last season when he won the Serie A Golden Boot, firing Napoli to the Scudetto with 26 league goals.
This season, he has scored 11 goals with 3 assists in 17 Serie A appearances for the Neapolitans.
