Chelsea’s hope of landing Victor Osimhen as their main transfer target next summer has suffered a big blow as the Nigerian international is poised to sign a new contract at Napoli with a potential release clause of €130 million (£112m/$141m).
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Napoli have reached an agreement in principle with Osimhen over a new contract. The striker’s current deal expires at the end of next season, but the deal will add another year, extending to 2026, and is likely to include a release clause.
Osimhen has scored six goals in 11 Serie A games this season and his new contract could reflect his value with a release clause, worth up to €130m, per the report.
The value of the clause was yet to be decided, however, the news of a potential new contract will come as a blow to Chelsea, with reports having claimed they could bid to sign the forward in January.
Osimhen has been with Napoli since 2020, when he was signed from Lille. The Serie A club paid a club-record €70m (£60m/$76m) plus €10m (£9m/$11m) in add-ons, so they could potentially turn a major profit if his release clause is ever triggered.
A major move seems inevitable for the 24-year-old eventually but he will hope to continue scoring goals for Napoli in the meantime. That said, a huge-money January offer from Chelsea should probably not be ruled out, given their spending in the winter window of 2023.