Victor Osimhen claims to have already made a “decision” about what he plans to do at the end of the season, strongly hinting that an exit from Napoli is on the cards.
Osimhen, who has been on Chelsea’s radar for a long time already and is linked with Manchester United, signed a new contract with Napoli two days before Christmas. That deal runs until 2026 and came with a pay rise, but it also contains a release clause that is €120m (£103m) at its lowest.
The 25-year-old has now suggested he doesn’t plan to stick around too much longer.
“I have already made my decision on the next step to do at the end of the season,” he told CBS Sports. “I already made up my mind. I already have my plan, I know what I want to do, the next step I want to take. I think 60% of the people mention the rumours about me linked with the Premier League. The Premier League is one of the biggest leagues in the world.
“I want to finish the season with Napoli strong then come up with the decision I’ve already made.”
Osimhen is currently on international duty with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations. He has become one of the most lethal strikers in Europe in recent years, scoring 31 goals in all competitions in 2022/23 alone, although injury and suspension this season have limited his time on the pitch.
The player has previously hinted that a transfer to the Saudi Pro League is not of interest. 90min reported in July that Napoli had rejected two bids for Osimhen from Al Hilal, worth £102m and then £120m. Earlier this month, he reacted angrily to claims made by the agent of teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia suggesting a move to Saudi Arabia in summer is likely, in the meantime asserting that his own client would never consider such a transfer “even for a billion”.
Osimhen was furious at the insinuation, directly addressing the agent in a social media post labelling the agent a “piece of filth and a disgrace” and urged him to “keep my name out of your mouth!”
In addition to Chelsea and United, Real Madrid are also linked with Osimhen, although transfer rumours regarding the Spanish giants are more geared towards Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
