- 15 hours ago
Arsenal back in for Osimhen as Napoli striker DROPPED by Conte
Victor Osimhen’s transfer saga continues, with Arsenal back in for the Napoli striker, who continues to insist that he will leave the Serie A club before the end of the transfer window on 30 August.
While there has been no shortage of interest in Osimhen, Napoli’s demand that any buying club match the release clause of the player, which is set at around €120-130 million, has stalled any deal.
PSG have agreed personal terms with the 25-year-old striker, yet the Ligue 1 champions have not been able to find an agreement with the Serie A giants over a transfer fee. They have refused to put his clause in full while they would not include winger Lee Kang-In in any deal.
READ MORE: How Chelsea will line up with Pedro Neto
The door is open for Arsenal to make a move, with Sky Sport Italia reporting on Saturday that the Gunners are back in for the player, who remains of interest to Chelsea, despite the Blues being set to land Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion.
On the other hand, the prospect of moving to Saudi Arabia is one that is increasingly distant for the player.
This news broke as Osimhen was not named on the teamsheet by head coach Antonio Conte for Saturday’s Coppa Italia clash against Modena.
"The situation is clear. He asked to leave and last year there was a solution in place. We prefer to protect the dynamic of a team and we'll see in 20 days," Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna said.
READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024: All the Done Deals
Osimhen rejects two options
Complicating matters for Napoli is the fact that Osimhen has rejected two possibilities that might have aided them.
Il Mattino reports: “The certainty is that Victor has made it know that he no longer wants to stay in Italy.
“He will miss the Coppa Italia after missing all the summer friendlies and he has done little or nothing this month to show Conte that he is at his disposal.
“Osi doesn’t want to hear about loan solutions, nor is he open to a reduction in his current salary, which is set at uction in his current salary, which is set at €12m per year until 2026.”