English Premier League trio Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are all looking likely to miss out on Napoli’s Victor Osimhen as French giants Paris Saint-Germain have decided to pay the €120m release clause in the Nigerian’s current contract.
After a successful four-year spell at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, the Nigeria international is expected to leave Naples despite signing a contract extension in December.
Osimhen is one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe following a successful time in Italy.
The 25-year-old played a huge role as Napoli claimed the Serie A title last season – their first in over three decades.
The Nigerian striker scored 31 goals across 39 appearances with 26 of those goals in the league.
Osimhen has netted 74 times across 129 appearances for Napoli and it came as no surprise that he has been linked with some top clubs in Europe.
If the report by Il Mattino is anything to go by, the Nigerian could be heading to France after the Italian media outfit reported that the French giants were ready to pay his release clause.
“Victor Osmihen is close to signing for PSG this summer! The French club has decided to pay his release clause of €120m,” the publication wrote.
The news will come as a major blow to his suitors, especially Arsenal and Chelsea. The two teams have identified Osimhen as their primary target for their attacks ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with the player also keen on the move.
The Premier League clubs desperately need a striker ahead of next season.
Chelsea have heavily depended on Nicolas Jackson to get their goals but the former Villarreal man has failed to deliver and his woeful performance in the past few days during clashes against Manchester City and Arsenal has shown why the Blues are in desperate need of a reliable striker.
While Arsenal have scored the highest number of goals in the Premier League this season, Mike Arteta still needs a goal poacher as Gabriel Jesus has failed to live up to expectation.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
