Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has not ruled out the possibility of striker Victor Osimhen leaving the club in the near future, with interest from Liverpool.
Osimhen had an impressive goal-scoring season in 2022-23, contributing to Napoli’s first Italian title in 33 years. He scored 26 goals and provided four assists in 32 league appearances, making him the league’s top scorer in his third full season since joining from Lille in the summer of 2020. Osimhen has also been a consistent goal-scorer for Nigeria, with 20 goals in as many matches since his international debut in May 2017.
With Osimhen’s contract at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season, Napoli president De Laurentiis has shed light on the forward’s contract negotiations.
“I have always been calm regarding Victor Osimhen, but it takes two to tango. My stance remains the same, but if his mood has changed, there’s not much I can do about it,” De Laurentiis stated when asked about Osimhen’s future at the club.
“If things change after a handshake, it’s disappointing, but we take it into account, and life goes on. We have a good relationship with him, and his contract runs until 2025, so there’s time. Let’s not forget that I sold Kalidou Koulibaly at the last minute.”
As De Laurentiis mentioned, Napoli has a history of selling valuable assets in the final year of their contracts, including Kalidou Koulibaly, who moved to Chelsea for £30 million last year.
Liverpool, led by Jurgen Klopp, is reportedly interested in acquiring the Nigerian forward, and they have recently increased their scrutiny of the player. Klopp is said to have sent a senior scout to watch Osimhen play for Nigeria against Saudi Arabia in a recent friendly, although Osimhen was forced off the field after 59 minutes due to a hamstring injury.
Chelsea is also reportedly in the running to sign Osimhen, with Mauricio Pochettino’s team monitoring his contract situation in Naples before making further attempts to secure his signature. Some reports suggest that Chelsea is in a favorable position to sign the player in 2024, although other clubs like Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are expected to compete for his services.
Following the departure of title-winning coach Luciano Spalletti and the arrival of Rudi Garcia, Napoli has struggled to maintain momentum in the new season. They are currently in fifth place, trailing league leaders AC Milan by seven points. Osimhen is unlikely to participate in his team’s Serie A match against Hellas Verona on Saturday afternoon due to an injury sustained on international duty.
