SUMMARY
- Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen is set to leave the club after four glorious seasons.
- The striker is already generating interests from clubs like Chelsea and PSG.
It appears as if it’s finally time for the Neapolitans to bid farewell to Victor Osimhen. Osimhen, who joined the Italian club Napoli in 2020, is reportedly close to an exit from the club at the end of this season. However, even if he ends up leaving the club in a few months, Osimhen’s legacy at Napoli will continue to remain unparalleled.
According to reports, Victor Osimhen will leave Napoli at the end of the 2023-24 season with several top European clubs interested in him. Even last year, there were rumors of clubs like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United keeping an eye on the Nigerian star. However, recent reports suggest that PSG and Chelsea have emerged as the more likely options for Osimhen.
🚨 Victor Osimhen will leave Napoli this summer, with Chelsea and PSG likely destinations for the striker.
(Source: Gazzetta) pic.twitter.com/1q7XXKHVOU
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 29, 2024
Since his arrival at the club, Victor Osimhen has been consistently one of the best players in the Italian league. He played an exemplary role last season when Napoli won the Serie A for the first time since Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona led Napoli to domestic success back in the 1989-90 season. Besides winning the league, Osimhen was also the top scorer and best player in Serie A.
Napoli lift the Serie A trophy for the first time in 33 years! 🏆🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/NEhZyQn8Wi
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 4, 2023
If Osimhen does end up leaving the club, it might prove to be a huge loss for the Italian side. Osimhen’s ongoing contract at the club ends in June 2026. To date, Osimhen has played 130 matches for Napoli. During that period, he scored 75 goals and also provided 18 assists. Currently, Victor Osimhen’s market value is estimated to be around £112 million ($140.5 million) as per Eurosport.
Will Victor Osimhen be the perfect replacement for Kylian Mbappe at PSG?
With PSG and Chelsea emerging as the leading suitors for Victor Osimhen, let’s take a look at which club will be the best choice for the Napoli forward. Like Napoli, PSG will also reportedly lose their talismanic striker at the end of this season with Kylian Mbappe reportedly set to join Real Madrid next season.
While Osimhen and Mbappe’s playing style isn’t exactly similar, the former might prove to be a good fit at the French club. Osimhen’s goalscoring prowess and his poacher ability will be well complemented by PSG’s two electric wingers, Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola.
On the other hand, Chelsea can also turn their sights on Victor Osimhen who might finally end the club’s problems in attack. Despite spending big in the transfer window, one of Chelsea‘s biggest concerns this season has been their finishing. With Christopher Nkunku out injured, Nicolas Jackson has received plenty of criticism this season for failing to consistently put the ball in the back of the net.
However, there is one factor that might give PSG the upper hand in the race to sign Osimhen. With Chelsea currently languishing ninth in the Premier League table, they wouldn’t be in the Champions League spot next season. PSG, albeit, is well on their course to win the Ligue 1 and has also reached the semifinals of the Champions League, which can help the club in luring the Nigerian international.
Napoli owner all but confirms Victor Osimhen’s exit from the club
In the meantime, Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis has already confirmed the rumors of Victor Osimhen’s potential departure back in January 2024. At the beginning of this year, de Laurentiis admitted that despite extending Osimhen’s contract in December 2023, he knew that the former Lille star would eventually leave the club at the end of the season.
🚨🇳🇬 Napoli president de Laurentiis on Osimhen saying that he “already made decision” on his future.
“We knew that, otherwise talks over new deal would not have been that long…”.
❗️ “Probably last summer he was gonna join Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or an English club”. pic.twitter.com/hyAoyhDmpO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 26, 2024
He said, “We knew that since last summer. That’s why the contract negotiations were so drawn out and amicable.”
Additionally, de Laurentiis also hinted at the 25-year-old striker’s potential future clubs. The Italian club owner admitted that Osimhen could end up playing for Real Madrid, PSG, or in the Premier League. Currently, there has been no update from Osimhen yet who has stated that he will announce his decision at the end of this season.