Napoli has finally let Chelsea know that they can drop their price for forward Victor Osimhen, as per reports from Italy.
At first, the Serie A club wanted £110.8 million for him, but no team has stepped up to pay this.
Chelsea, Arsenal, and Paris Saint-Germain all showed interest, but the high price has paused the talks.
Napoli’s president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, was initially waiting for a team to meet Osimhen’s release clause.
However, the club now faces a challenge as they require funds from Osimhen’s sale to finance their new acquisitions, including a potential deal for Romelu Lukaku.
Napoli has told new coach Antonio Conte that other top players, like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Frank Anguissa, and Stanislav Lobotka, won’t be sold.
Napoli has started talks with Chelsea about Lukaku. The Premier League team first wanted to sell Lukaku for £38 million but now is ready to take a lower price of about £21.1 million for him.
Lukaku wants to join Conte at Napoli, but AC Milan also wants the Belgian player.
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In discussions, Napoli has shown they might drop their price for Osimhen to £84.6 million.
However, this figure remains too high for Chelsea, who recently agreed on a £42 million fee with Aston Villa for Colombian striker Jhon Duran.
Despite the lowered price, Chelsea is still hesitant to meet Napoli’s demands.
Osimhen also has an offer from the Saudi Pro League but prefers to stay in Europe, having turned down a move to the Middle East last year.
Speaking at his unveiling as Napoli’s new head coach, Conte acknowledged Osimhen’s situation, stating, “I know what the situation is regarding Osimhen.
I am aware that there are existing agreements which make this situation unique. My role is limited to assisting.
He is an exceptional, top-level player, but I cannot discuss this further as it involves prior arrangements that have been clearly communicated to me.”
Conte is also keen to bring Lukaku into his squad, but Napoli faces competition from AC Milan, who are also in discussions with Chelsea.
The transfer saga continues as Napoli, Chelsea, and other interested clubs navigate the complexities of securing their target players while balancing financial constraints and strategic needs.
