pwshub.com

Chelsea 'OUT of Osimhen race' as rival 'now in the mix for Napoli gun'

Napoli star Victor Osimhen could still find himself in the Premier League despite Chelsea effectively ending their pursuit of the Nigerian as they press on with a move for Samu Omorodion.

The deal for Omorodion would be separate to Conor Gallagher's move the other way, with the midfielder jetting into the Spanish capital to undergo a medical with Atletico Madrid ahead of a £33.7m move.

Chelsea had been heavily linked with a move for Osimhen in recent windows, with a swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku plus cash floated.

Victor Osimhen faces an uncertain future at Napoli amid interest from Arsenal and PSG

With Chelsea moving on from Osimhen, Sky Italy reporter Gianluca Di Marzio claims Arsenal could press ahead with a move for the Nigerian marksman.

The report claims the Gunners, along with Paris Saint-Germain and clubs in Saudi Arabia, all hold an interest in Osimhen, who has scored 76 goals in 133 appearances for Napoli. 

Despite the riches on offer in Saudi Arabia, the report claims Osimhen is not enthused by the prospect of playing in the Middle East.

The 25-year-old is yet to feature in a single pre-season game for Napoli under new boss Antonio Conte as his time in Italy appears increasingly likely to end sooner rather than later.

Should Arsenal trigger Osimhen's eye-watering release clause, it would shatter the club's record transfer fee just 12 months after they forked out £105m for star midfielder Declan Rice.

The signing of Osimhen would also represent a major statement of intent from Gunners boss Mikel Arteta in his bid to stop Manchester City from winning a fifth-straight Premier League title. 

Osimhen would also bring plenty of firepower to an Arsenal attack that has relied heavily on the contributions of star winger Bukayo Saka.

Arteta often deployed Kai Havertz, an attacking midfielder by trade, or Gabriel Jesus up top last season but neither provided the goal haul required to dethrone City.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Related stories
3 weeks ago - SAMI MOKBEL: Stamford Bridge officials are working to find offers for Sterling, who can leave the club ahead of Friday's deadline.
1 month ago - The Blues have already just under £200m this summer on 12 players, with Pedro Neto the latest to walk through the door after his £54m move from Wolves.
2 weeks ago - Less than a year and a half ago, the well-mannered Nigerian sat down with Mail Sport to open up on his ambition to play in the Premier League and go toe-to-toe with Erling Haaland.
3 weeks ago - Follow Mail Sport's transfer blog to be kept up to date with all the latest rumours and signings involving every Premier League side and more as the Transfer deadline looms.
1 month ago - SIMON JONES: The deal is for a season-long loan and is expected to include an option to buy worth in the region of £30m This would become an obligation if Ipswich were to avoid relegation.
Other stories
1 hour ago - The 61-year-old steered Australia to their best ever finish in a World Cup when they narrowly lost to Argentina in the round of 16 in Qatar - earning him a contract extension.
1 hour ago - INSIDE THE EVERTON CAMP: One phrase uttered by an Everton powerbroker this month pops into mind every time one thinks of the negativity stinking out the club.
3 hours ago - After a dull first period, Arteta 's side faced an early second-half concession when the referee awarded the home side a penalty following a challenge from Thomas Partey on Ederson .
3 hours ago - ISAAN KHAN IN BERGAMO: Mikel Arteta hailed David Raya's miraculous double save as 'one of the best I've seen in my career' with Arsenal rescuing an unlikely point against Atalanta.
3 hours ago - With an exquisite piece of footwork in the build-up to the second goal in a 4-0 win at Feyenoord, the Nigeria striker earned the praise of his teammates - and plenty of fans on social media.