Super Eagles and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen remains one of the hottest properties in world football at the moment.
The 24-year-old has done well for himself over the past 12 months and he has been linked with a number of clubs over the past transfer window. He could have even made a big move in the end.
Osimhen had been in the headlines due to the amount of interest the Super Eagles striker generated all through the summer. Clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich were rumored to be interested in the Nigerian at different points.
Despite Napoli's openness to sell him, the only offer that came for him was not crazy enough to convince Club President, Aurelio De Laurentiis to sell let-go his most prized asset.
Around that same time, an offer of £120 million, which would have made Osimhen the most expensive African player ever and one of the most expensive players in football history, which came from Al Hilal was immediately turned down by the Serie A champions.
Napoli president De Laurentiis on Victor Osimhen and Al Hilal: “Osimhen will stay here. He won’t leave”. 🚨🔵⛔️
“He’s under contract until June 2025, where should he go? Contracts should be respected. We are on the same page with Osimhen since day 1. Don’t be worried”, told Sky. pic.twitter.com/XYmIQAgTKx
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 10, 2023
More recently, Mattia Grassani, who is the lawyer for the Naples side revealed that Osimhen’s renewal talks were in an advanced stage and that it was only a matter of time.
Despite the agreement on a new deal and an improved salary, Osimhen’s release clause has not been finalized and the club has now opted to move fast before they lose the Nigerian star.
Osimhen renewal: What was the deadline given by Napoli for the renewal?
Napoli are planning to strengthen their squad in the next transfer window and have decided to set a deadline for the contract renewal of their star striker Victor Osimhen.
The Partenopei have already lost defensive stalwart Kim Min-Jae to Bayern Munich in a deal worth €50m, while Hirving Lozano also left to PSV for around €15m.
In a bid to keep the remaining key elements of the title-winning squad, Napoli are now focused on securing the future of Osimhen before the new year.
According to Daniele Longo of Calciomercato.com, Napoli are mounting pressure on Osimhen to officially sign his new contract before the end of this year, avoiding another transfer drama in the January transfer window.
On Osimhen’s part, he wants to remain in Naples for the time being and has already agreed a new salary with the club, around €6m net per season, but no mutual understanding has been reached on the release clause yet.
It has been widely reported that the release clause could be €150 million and considering how much players of lesser quality have moved in the current market, it is a decent price for one of the best strikers in the world at the moment.
With 26 goals in Serie A title-winning campaign last season and a Ballon d’Or nomination, it's easy to see why Napoli are pushing to keep Osimhen for a while longer.
Meanwhile, Osimhen’s commitment remains strong as he has already scored three goals in his first three Serie A matches this season. The Nigerian forward will now be looking to even better his tally from last term.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
