Will Man Utd and Chelsea target Osimhen move after training ground bust up?
Robin Bairner
- 25 Jul 2022 11:53 BST
- 4 min read
Man Utd and Chelsea target Osimhen in explosive training ground row
Napoli star Victor Osimhen has had a falling out with head coach Luciano Spalletti, which will have caught the eye of Manchester United and Chelsea.
Osmihen was one of Serie A’s players of the season in 2021/22 as he scored 14 times in 27 matches while laying on five goals more. Combined with four European goals in five outings and he was undoubtedly central to Napoli’s success as they finished third in the league and comfortably qualified for Europe.
Such scoring form naturally attracted interest from leading clubs, with Chelsea and Man Utd among those interested in the 23-year-old Nigeria star, whose deal is up in 2025.
The Premier League giants will have taken note, then, of an explosive falling out between Osimhen and Spalletti.
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Soectacular Spalletti falling out
Sky Italia reports that Osimhen had to be ushered away by Matteo Politano from the Italian coach after he had spent minutes reprimanding the forward for showing too much nervous tension on the field.
❌ SPALLETTI CACCIA OSIMHEN DAL CAMPO
Momenti di tensione nel corso dell’allenamento del Napoli tra il tecnico Luciano Spalletti e l’attaccante Victor Osimhen: “Stai parlando troppo” questo il rimprovero al giocatore spedito sotto la doccia#sportitalia
📹 @manuelparlato pic.twitter.com/FMMXKVfuoK— Sportitalia (@tvdellosport) July 24, 2022
It was a significant falling out and one that throws into some doubt the player’s relationship with the coach.
However, this is unlikely to be of immediate benefit to Man Utd and Chelsea, two clubs both seeking offensive reinforcements. While the Red Devils seek an alternative to wantaway superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has lamented his side’s lack of progress on the transfer front and urgently wants more done.
Osimhen wants Napoli stay
Osimhen despite this clash, remains very settled at Napoli and, in any case, would likely cost a spectacular transfer fee. The Serie A club would demand upwards of €100 million if they were to sell their forward, who has also been linked with Arsenal and Spurs, although it is known that they hold an interest in Cristiano Ronaldo, which Man Utd could seek to exploit.
“I have experienced very difficult moments, even private ones, but Napoli has always been close to me and that is one of the reasons I am here. I’m happy, I’m in a beautiful city and a wonderful club,” he told Corriere dello Sport in comments published on Monday.
“Naples is one of the best places to be a footballer: Maradona played here, the best ever, I consider it a privilege and a great honour to play in the stadium named after him.”
Although his dream is to play in the Premier League, Napoli are in a strong position financially, having sold Kalidou Koulibaly to Chelsea as well as seeing big-earners Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens depart. Equally, though, having lost such key players, they are unlikely to want another important figure to depart.
Indeed, the prospects of this clash causing such a rift that Osimhen will leave Napoli this summer are extremely slim, though perhaps it signals that in the longer term there might be a deal to be done.
