Victor Osimhen and four Napoli stars who could leave this summer

Sam McGuire

• Updated: 4 May 2023 21:41 BST
• 5 min read

Napoli last won the Scudetto during the 1989/90 season. Diego Maradona guided the Naples-based team to the title that season, their second in the space of four campaigns. Since then, however, the Partenopei have finished as runners-up on four occasions over a 33-year period.

But now, the drought has ended at last. To be honest, it had been a formality for a while. Luciano Spalletti’s men had been 15 points clear at the top of Serie A before their game against Udinese. Having come back from 1-0 down to secure a 1-1 draw thanks to none other than Victor Osimhen, they are finally champions again.

It has been more than deserved too. Napoli have scored the most goals (69) and conceded the fewest (23). They have dropped points in just eight of their 32 matches this term and their first loss of the season only arrived in January following an 11-match winning streak.

READ: Napoli are CHAMPIONS! Serie A winners set blueprint for success AND profit

They possess the top goalscorer in the league in Victor Osimhen (22 goals in just 27 appearances this season) and no player can better Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s return of 10 assists in the Italian top-flight. The 22-year-old has been a revelation following his €10 million move last summer and he’s more than filled the boots of the departed Lorenzo Insigne.

The Napoli side of the late 80s managed to sandwich two second-place finishes either side of their two Scudetto wins. If they were able to keep this current squad together, a similar period of dominance could well be on the cards. However, the likelihood is that this group will be dismantled at the end of the season with the club cashing in on some valuable assets while their stock is high.

Here is a look at four possible stars who could depart this summer.

Hirving Lozano

Statistically, the 27-year-old hasn’t had the best campaign. He’s netted just three times in the league across 1,565 minutes but with his contract heading into the final 12 months, there are reports that he could depart in the summer.

Arsenal and Chelsea are believed to be interested in the Mexico international. The versatile forward has an Estimated Transfer Value of up to €38m. Selling for that sort of money would represent a small loss on the former PSV man. The Serie A side paid a club-record €42m when they signed him in 2019 but he’s struggled to replicate his Eredivisie form.

In what is his fourth season with the club, he’s scored over six Serie A goals just once.

Yet some Premier League clubs could well be interested in Lozano. He can play multiple positions, he has experience in European competition and the 64-cap international could well be viewed as a marketable asset. The Napoli No.11 might not always be a starter but he could well be a useful squad player for a team looking to add depth to their ranks.

Kim Min-Jae

The centre-back was a relative unknown 12 months ago having only moved to Europe in August 2021. He impressed for Fenerbahce and was selected by Napoli to replace Kalidou Koulibaly following his sale to Chelsea.

In what has proven to be a masterstroke, the Serie A side took the €36m they pocketed for the Senegalese defender and invested half in the 26-year-old. He has been one of the best defenders in Europe this season and could well be on the move this summer for €50m.

Kim has a release clause in his deal that is active during a two-week window in early July. He’s already been linked with Liverpool while recent reports claim Manchester rivals City and United are going to battle it out for the powerhouse centre-back.

Given how the market for defenders is, such a fee for someone of Kim’s ability would be viewed as a bargain and Napoli would be powerless to prevent their No.3 from leaving.

Piotr Zielinski

The versatile midfielder is another who might be sold due to his contract situation. The 28-year-old’s current deal expires in 2024 and he allegedly wants to depart the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this summer despite being an important player in this Spalletti side.

He’s racked up over 1,900 minutes in Serie A this term and had 10 goals involvements - three goals and seven assists.

Liverpool tried to sign the 80-cap international prior to his move to Naples and according to multiple outlets, the Reds have retained an interest in the multifunctional middle third man. Jurgen Klopp’s side are in dire need of midfield reinforcements and though his age makes him a weird fit for a team looking for fresh legs, Zielinski could be viewed as an opportunistic signing given his situation.

Victor Osimhen

Rumoured to be a transfer target for Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in recent years, Osimhen looks destined to leave Napoli this summer having fired them to the Serie A title.

His price tag well north of €100m may have put clubs off last summer but he’s rather emphatically put any doubts to bed with his showings this season. He’s bossed both the domestic league as well as the Champions League, scoring five times in just 423 minutes.

A number of clubs, including Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Chelsea are in the market for a pure centre forward and few are as well-rounded as the one-time Lille man.