Chelsea and Liverpool face frustrating transfer talks over a deal to secure the services of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen. And their discussions could even prove fruitless if they mirror Manchester United’s failed pursuit in the summer with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, when the Red Devils attempted to get their hands on Harry Kane before the striker sealed a £100million move to Bayern Munich.
Chelsea and Liverpool are both said to be chasing the signature of Osimhen, who has bagged six goals in his first eight Serie A matches of the campaign after racking up 31 goals in all competitions last season.
Recruitment chiefs from both clubs will have to enter into negotiations with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis if they are to capture the 24-year-old. De Laurentiis, much like Levy, has earned a reputation for being a tough operator who slaps huge price tags on his stars – and the Premier League duo may be on a hiding to nothing.
Chelsea are said to have more concrete interest in the player than Liverpool, but the Evening Standard claim any deal in January will be ‘very tough’ as Napoli are not a club who allow themselves to be bullied by players.
De Laurentiis was quick to tell rival clubs his stance on Osimhen back in February, saying: “I can tell you that Osimhen is not for sale. Our players are in demand, but I don’t have to sell anyone. We don’t have any debts.”
And in May, the 74-year-old added: “I will not sell Victor Osimhen this summer – no way.”
The Napoli supremo has so far been a man of his word, although if the right club put enough money on the table he would surely buckle. That’s exactly what happened in August when Bayern landed Kane after several weeks of discussions. The England international had been the subject of talks between the Red Devils and Levy earlier in the summer as Erik ten Hag desperately pursued a move for the ace.
But Levy refused to compromise over his demands. And it wasn’t until a club overseas put forward an offer of £86.4m plus add-ons that Levy finally agreed to let Kane exit, a year before the player would have been able to leave for free at the end of his contract anyway.
De Laurentiis will surely want more than the fee Levy got for Kane if he does decide to cash in on Osimhen, as the Nigeria international is five-and-a-half years younger than the Bayern star and has more than 18 months remaining on his current deal.
But there are signs that De Laurentiis could be ready to concede his position after he recently suggested the player’s “mood has changed” around penning fresh terms at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. And Chelsea and Liverpool could make their move quickly while the player’s future is still up in the air.
