Victor Osimhen transfer request. African footballers. Victor Osimhen has submitted a transfer request as he tries to leave Napoli before the summer transfer window closes.
The Nigerian international was a key player in Napoli’s 2022-23 Serie A win, but his future at the club has been uncertain since last summer. Osimhen has trained with Napoli throughout the summer but hasn’t played in any pre-season matches. New head coach Antonio Conte is keen to bring in Romelu Lukaku as his replacement.
Napoli has agreed to let Osimhen go this summer, but club president Aurelio de Laurentiis is holding out for a team to activate the striker’s €130m release clause. Paris Saint-Germain was leading the race for his signature but, despite extensive talks, were unwilling to meet that price and will stick with Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani instead.
Reports from Italy suggest that both Chelsea and Arsenal have renewed their interest in the striker. Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, confirmed that Osimhen is now pushing to leave the club.
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Speaking before Napoli’s season opener against Modena in the Coppa Italia, Manna said, “Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the club. He wants to go. The situation is clear, there were chances for his exit last summer. Victor wants to leave. We will see in the next 20 days.”
Arsenal is still looking to sign a new striker this summer after missing out on Benjamin Sesko, who chose to stay with RB Leipzig.
Gianluca di Marzio reports that Arsenal remains very interested in Osimhen after this weekend’s developments at Napoli. Chelsea has also maintained their long-standing interest in Osimhen and has already spent £200 million this summer, with Pedro Neto set to be unveiled by the club.
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More about Victor Osimhen
Victor James Osimhen is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Napoli and the Nigeria national team.
Osimhen started his senior career with VfL Wolfsburg in 2017 before moving on loan to Charleroi for the 2018–19 season. He then joined Lille, where he scored 18 goals in one season. In 2020, he made a club-record €70 million transfer to Napoli. He was named Serie A’s Best Young Player in 2021–22 and became the league’s top scorer with 26 goals in 2022–23, leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years. He is also the highest-scoring African player in Serie A history.
On the international stage, Osimhen won the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup and made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2017. He played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and 2023 and is the joint-third highest goal scorer for Nigeria. In 2023, he finished eighth in the Ballon d’Or and was named African Footballer of the Year, becoming the first Nigerian to win the award since 1999.