According to reports, Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen could be lining up for Real Madrid next season.
Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of the 14-time UEFA Champions League winners, has petitioned the club's president, Florentino Perez, to go after the much sought-after striker, who is wrapping up his holiday in Nigeria.
This will put Napoli in a precarious situation as they have stepped up their efforts to renew Osimhen's contract.
The pull of Real Madrid may make the Super Eagles striker do a double-take about his future with the Partenopei and the adoration of the Napoli fans.
🚨🎖️| Victor Osimhen is Ancelotti’s preferred plan B if the club doesn’t sign Mbappé. @relevo pic.twitter.com/Y8uLuTtGQV
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) July 7, 2023
Kylian Mbappe remains first choice; Osimhen emerges as backup option
Real Madrid have set their sights on Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, who is the main protagonist of this summer's transfer news and rumours reportage.
Osimhen is on the radar of the Parisians in case Mbappe ends up moving to Madrid. However, with Mbappe's transfer fee looking unfeasible, Ancelotti, who managed Napoli between 2018 and 2019, has identified the AFCON 2023 qualifiers' top scorer as an alternative for Mbappe as the new season approaches.
The obstacle with the Osimhen to Madrid transfer is the price Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis will demand, which is reported by Relevo to be €150 million. PSG want €200 million for Mbappe, which has thrown Los Blancos off the French forward's scent.
The Nigerian forward's price tag may also discourage Madrid in their chase, but Relevo reports that the Spanish side will be ready to consider a bid for Osimhen if it comes down to that.
De Laurentiis' demands for Osimhen are geared towards ensuring the former LOSC Lille striker will remain in Italy for at least one more season. Osimhen scored 31 goals in 39 appearances for the team last season and his exploits saw him rise up to fourth on the ESPN top ten strikers list behind Erling Haaland, Karim Benzema and Harry Kane.
Osimhen, meanwhile, has alluded to the fact that he will make the right decision for his future when the time comes, via a direct social media post.
Osimhen-Mbappe-Kane transfer saga
The futures of Osimhen, alongside Mbappe and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, are dominating the news. The Nigeria football news scene has also been the busiest it has been in a long while, thanks to the coverage that the U-17 FIFA World Cup champion is getting. It is now understood that the futures of these three heavy hitters are intertwined.
Madrid want Mbappe and have now identified Osimhen as an option. Kane is also one of the names they are looking at. Bayern Munich are also in the mix but De Laurentiis' demands for Osimhen have thrown them off. Bayern chief Uli Hoeness recently commented on the issue saying, “Bayern Munich don't go along with that if the numbers of up to €180m are correct.”
If one of these players leaves their club, there will be a domino effect that will cut across their current teams and the whole of European football. It remains to be seen what Osimhen and his representatives will decide about his future, with the season on the horizon.
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 months ago
